Strange Impressions
by marvelchick1992
Summary: Sophie McIntyre has been part of the Avengers for a while, her abilities as a firestarter come in handy when having to fight enemies. Doctor Stephen Strange and Sophie have gotten to know each other and soon they find themselves falling in love with each other.
1. Decisions, Decisions

Alone in my room I sit, against the pillows of my all too cozy bed, my nose in a book as usual, caught up in a world so different from mine. This particular world was perhaps so engrossing that I don't register the knock at my open door or as a figure enters and perches itself on the edge of my bed. That is, not until a familiar voice speaks.

"How is it that you're not ready for the party that's happening downstairs?" the voice asks, causing me to look up at it; or rather at my best friend Natasha Romanoff.

"Party? What party?" I ask her, raising an eyebrow before returning to the page I was on.

"Uh…the one for Cap, for his birthday. Oh, Sophie, please don't tell me you forgot. Steve will be so devastated," She replied.

"No, no. I didn't forget. That party isn't until next week. I even got him a gift. Or rather made his one. What?" I commented, watching as the red head's lips twisted into a grin.

"Sweetie…it i_s_ next week. Working a little hard I see. The days blurring together so much that you don't even notice. Get out of the bed; get ready. I'll tell everyone you're just running a bit behind," She told me. When I made no immediate move to get out from under the comfort of my covers, she yanked them off of me and snatched the book out of my hands.

"Hey! Nat, come on, give that back! I'm not even sure I want to go. I already feel bad that I'm going to be late already," I whined, immediately shrinking back at the glare she shot my way.

"Oh no, you're going. That's not an option. You need to hang out with us more instead of locked up in your room with a book. Get ready. Come down. Have fun," She snapped.

"But-," I began before she shook her head.

"Besides, Loki will be there and who's going to talk to him if you're not there. Also, it seems Strange is in attendance as well and I know very well that you like him," she interrupted. I froze. Stephen Strange was coming. I had had a crush on him ever since he showed up at Tony's birthday dinner. He strode in wearing a burgundy, long sleeve shirt and black jeans; bright blue eyes that had met my own across the room and nearly caused my heart to stop.

That night we had talked endlessly about anything, his voice music in my ears. Of course, when we needed him to help out in missions, undercover or otherwise, we talked more and more; mostly about important details about plans to thwart enemies rather more than discussing personal interests, but still we became close.

"Natasha, I don't know. Stephen…he makes me…nervous. I'd rather not make a fool out of myself. He might not even like me…in that way," I commented, ignoring the look of disbelief on my friend's face.

"Sophie...please get dressed; for me, for Steve? He'd really like to see you. As for the other matter, just be you. It may surprise you on how he really feels about you," She stated before placing my book back on the bed and walking out of my room, closing the door behind her.

Sighing, I pulled myself off the bed and walked towards my closet, pulling the doors open. Pushing my everyday clothes to one side, I slid out a silky, long, royal blue dress with a slit that came to the bottom of my thigh when I tried it on a few weeks ago. It was strapless, the top of the dress accentuating my shoulders and breasts properly.

I laid it out on the bed, staring at it, debating on what to do. _Be yourself. It may surprise you on how he really feels about you,_ Natasha's words echoing through my mind. It was at that moment that I made a decision.


	2. Parties and Dances

Once I showered and made myself pretty by straightening my shoulder length black and blonde ombre hair and putting on makeup, I made my way downstairs to the party, Steve's birthday present in hand. I reached the doors of the lounge and took a deep, relaxing breath before opening one door and stepping inside, a smile gracing my face. Scanning the crowd for someone familiar, it wasn't long before I spotted Stephen having a conversation with Tony by the piano, watching as he smiled, a motion that created those small crinkles around his eyes that I adored.

I hadn't realized I'd been staring until a voice broke my gaze away from him.

"Sophie! You're here! Nat said you'd be running late, but you're here now! Better late than not showing at all," the booming voice belonging to no other than Thor, the God of Thunder. He enveloped me in a hug, his being so warm and teddy bear like, before offering his arm to take. Linking my arm with his, he lead me to a table with gifts strewn all over the place and I placed mine on an empty spot following Thor as he led me to the bar, surrounded by Loki, Bruce and Wanda among others.

Loki was dressed in an all black suit, his raven hair curling slightly on his shoulders, Wanda dressed in a medium length red dress accented by a black leather jacket, black booties to match; Bruce in blue jeans and simple t-shirt. Ordering a drink, I briefly glanced back to Stephen taking in his gray button up shirt and black trousers, his ink black hair slicked back, the little gray hair at his ears…

"Darling, you look stunning. It's a wonder you haven't stopped beating hearts when you walked in here tonight," Loki's silky voice greeted me, once again my gaze broken as I turned to him.

"Thank you Loki, though I don't think I'm quite that stunning to capture everyone's attention. Plus I'm not interested in snagging anyone's attention anyway," I replied, blushing slightly.

"Or maybe you're only interested in capturing a certain person's heart. You haven't by chance spoken to Strange tonight have you? There's a rumor going around that he's eager to see you tonight," Wanda stated, nudging me with her elbow. The slight flush to my cheeks intensified, as I understood what she was implying.

"No, of course not. He hasn't even noticed that I've arrived yet so I doubt he's that eager to see me. How are you Bruce? Have you done anything interesting lately?" I replied, grateful that my drink had been placed in front of me. I took it in my hands and sipped it slowly, calming my nerves and hiding my embarrassment from the others.

"I'm great Sophie. No, I haven't done anything recently. I think Wanda is right though. As soon as Tony mentioned that you were added to the guest list for the party, Strange lit up like lightning. It's because of you that he's in attendance tonight. Normally, I don't think he would've shown up if you weren't going to be here. I know he can't stand to be in the same room as Tony some days," He answered me. I almost choked on my drink at Bruce's comments. Clearing my throat, I asked where Cap was and smiled as Thor pointed over to the couches where Nat, Cap, Bucky and Sam were seated.

"Thanks. Save a dance for me will you Loki?" I commented, receiving a nod from him and placing my drink down on the counter before sauntering over to the birthday boy.

"Happy birthday Steve," I greeted him, kissing his cheek before planting myself beside Bucky.

"Thank you Sophie. It's great that you decided to show up tonight, especially since _he's_ here," Steve greeted me, jerking his chin over to Strange where he was still in deep conversation with Tony. He still hadn't noticed my arrival, which was a little disappointing. Steve must have noticed my sadness because he reached across Bucky to gently touch my hand.

"Don't worry. He wants to see you tonight. Trust me," he reassured me, earning a small smile from me as I absentmindedly ran a hand through my hair.

"You know, you could go up to talk to him instead of waiting for him to come to you," Natasha offered, a smirk twisting her lips.

Oh, I don't know. He's talking to Tony right now. I'd hate to interrupt," I replied. She rolled her eyes, her smirk turning into a mischievous grin. I watched as she glanced over to Tony and Stephen; watched as she got up from her seat and turned in their direction, knowing what she was about to do.

"Natasha! Don't! Natasha!" I exclaimed, as she turned my way and then walked over to them like I suspected she would. I watched helplessly as she tapped Stephen on the shoulder, watched as he turned to her; as she whispered something in his ear and when he turned in my direction he smiled that perfect smile of his. He proceeded to walk over to the couches, his gaze locked on mine, those bright blue eyes paralyzing me. I didn't notice Bucky switching to sit on the couch across from me, my eyes following Stephen as he replaced Bucky's spot beside me.

"Hello Sophie. You look beautiful tonight," he greeted me, his voice low and inviting. He sat close to me, knees barely touching mine, an arm draped over the back of the couch, his other hand on one leg, lingering close as though he wanted to take my hand in his.

"Thank you. You look handsome as well. Enjoying yourself tonight?" I replied, whispering, afraid my voice would betray my nerves. With him looking at me, it was as though no one else was in the room, as though it was only Stephen and me. Oh, how I liked him. He was everything I imagined a soul mate to be. He was handsome and tall and those eyes of his could freeze me in place. He was blunt and honest of course but that was what I also loved about him, at least he would tell how it was but he'd always listen and take on new perspectives when it came to missions and other important things in our everyday lives. My favorite things about him though were his hands. Scarred they may be but they were beautiful and cool to the touch.

He angled his head in a way that was closer to mine, the hand on his leg reaching up as he placed two fingers under my chin and gently lifted my face up to his, our lips barely touching. My breath caught in my throat at the closeness, the warmth in his eyes when he smiled at me.

"I am now. I didn't know if you were coming tonight. I hoped you would though. I desperately wanted you to see you. Sophie, I-" he answered, cut off as another voice approached.

"Would you like to dance?" Loki chimed in, Stephen shooting a glare his way. Loki only smiled his signature mischievous grin and took my hand, pulling me off the couch and towards the dance floor. Loki linked one hand with mine, the other wrapping around my waist, pulling me close to him, my free hand resting on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to dance with you tonight. Plus it's always fun to throw that second rate-" Loki apologized, before I interrupted him.

"That's not nice. Can you behave just this once please?" I asked him, eliciting a chuckle from him.

"Alright, fine. It was still worth it though, especially since he's making his way over here now. My guess is that he really wants to dance with you," He stated, looking beyond me,

"Hmmm, I see. Was that part of your original plan? Did you want to make him jealous or is there something else you're up to?" I commented, smiling as a look of amusement crossed his features. He didn't get to answer as Stephen approached us, his hand outstretched, an expression on his face that said he hoped I would take it.

"May I cut in?" he asked, receiving a nod from me. Loki released me and I grasped Stephen's hand. He pulled me close, ignoring Loki, his attention completely on me.

"Where were we?" he asked, leaning down, his lips mere inches from mine, a stray piece of hair escaping and resting on his forehead.

"I'm not sure. Were you about to kiss me or confess something?" I answered, my eyes flicking up to his, the brightness darkening to a stormy blue from desire or passion, I wasn't sure which. His answer was provided by closing the space between us, his lips capturing mine, his beard tickling me slightly, his lips soft and warm causing me to wrap my arms around his neck, fingers encasing themselves in his hair, tugging gently. He pulled back, both of us breathing slightly harder than before.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while now," he told me.

"Me too. I wasn't sure if you felt the same way but now I'm positive that you do," I stated, his smile returning before placing a kiss on my forehead.

"What do you say to a date then? Friday night? My place, say around 8?" he asked.

"I'd say sounds perfect," I answered, resuming our dance. Throughout the rest of the party, I danced once with Cap and presents were opened, conversations had, my position on the couch by Stephen, my head resting on his shoulder, fingers laced together, the beginning of a very passionate relationship. As the party winded to a close, he walked me to my room in the tower, kissed me for a final time that night and left to return to the Sanctum.

"I told you that you'd be surprised at how he felt about you," Nat commented walking past me to her own room, grinning from ear to ear.

"Indeed, you did. Thank you Nat," I replied, before turning in for the night.


	3. First Date and Makeout Session

Friday night rolled along and I was nervous and excited for the date with Stephen. I had set out a couple of different outfits on the bed, chewing on my bottom lip in deep thought about which one I should wear. The first was a little too casual, a black tank top and blue jeans, with sandals. The next outfit was maybe too formal, similar to what I had worn to Steve's birthday party. The last was a simple red dress with black heels.

I groaned in frustration at the indecisive options. He was going to pick me up in an hour and that meant that I was little behind in getting ready. Running my hands through my hair, I continued to stare at the three outfits, still not coming to a decision. I started to pace the floor, hands rubbing the back of my neck. It was possible that I was overthinking this and letting my nerves get the best of me. He definitely affected me in ways I didn't think were possible.

"Sophie, are you okay in there? The guys say that you keep groaning and they're concerned about you," Natasha's voice called out, knocking first. I treaded over to the door to let her in my room.

"I don't know if I can do this. He's going to be here to pick me up at 8 and I can't decide on a blasted outfit. I mean, what if he doesn't like what I choose? What if I'm too casual or too formal?" I answer her, the words flying out of mouth at a fast rate. Natasha giggled and I shot a glare her way in annoyance.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, but you have got to calm down. The man isn't even here and he's already got you flustered. I'm sure he's going to love whatever you decide to wear. It's you in it after all. Though I don't think that these," she gestured to the clothes on the bed, "are the right choices," she told me. Walking over to my open closet, she pulled out a short black dress that I had bought a few years ago. It was one that I wore often to parties or special events that we attended as a team.

"Now this is what you should wear tonight and wear those cute black booties you wore to Tony's birthday party," She said, hanging it on top of the closet door. I sighed, relieved that she had come by and to offer her expertise. Natasha walked over and pulled me into a tight embrace, rubbing her hands up and down my back in a soothing motion.

"Stop overthinking everything. You're not going to scare him away. Trust me. He's crazy about you. Remember what I said-"

"Yeah, yeah, be myself. Thank you Natasha. I don't know what I would do without my best friend," I interrupted her before letting go.

"Now, get ready. You've lost 15 minutes already. He'll be here soon," she stated, leaving my room, the door clicking shut. Quickly changing out of my lounging attire, I pulled on a matching bra and underwear before slipping on the dress. I kept my makeup natural, not wanting to overdo it too much. I left my hair down but straightened it to be presentable. Closing my eyes, I focused on pushing out all the thoughts swarming around in my head, ready to have fun.

"Sophie, Strange is here," Tony's voice alerted from the intercom. Breathing deeply, I took one last look in the mirror, smoothing out my dress that hugged my figure in the right places and exited my room. Making my descent down the stairs, I saw Stephen standing at the entrance of the compound, dressed in a crisp white shirt and black trousers. Turning in my direction, his shimmering blue eyes took my breath away. I momentarily paused on the staircase, taking him in, all of him. The way he looked, the way his eyes brightened when he smiled at me. I continued my way down to him, his gaze locked onto me until I was close enough to touch him.

Leaning down, he kissed me on the cheek, before he linked his fingers with mine.

"You look gorgeous. Are you ready to go? I've got a great night planned for the two of us," he greeted me. I nodded and waved by to Tony, watching as Stephen created a portal with his sling ring. We stepped through, the portal closing behind us.

The portal opened up in front of us to the Sanctum Santorum, the beauty of it causing me to gasp. Stephen chuckled, taking a few steps forward and spreading his arms out.

"Welcome to the Sanctum. Beautiful isn't it?" he commented, a smile gracing his face. I nodded, spinning around to admire all of the relics surrounding us. When I faced him again, there were just a few inches between us. I could reach out and touch him if I wanted to. I guess he could sense my thoughts because he closed the distance, wrapping an arm around my waist. He led me up the stairs to a candle lit dining room and plates of food sitting on the table.

"If I remember correctly, you love Italian food, which is what I've prepared for us tonight," Stephen commented, his low voice rumbling in my ear. He pulled out my chair allowing me to sit down before he sat down across from me.

"It's perfect. Thank you," I told him, pleased to see a blush appear on his cheeks. During dinner we talked about different books we'd been reading, or other interests, enjoying each other's company. Following dinner, we brought our plates into the kitchen to clean up; I washed while he dried. Handing over the last plate to be dried, our hands brushed up against each other sending electricity through my arm. It lasted only a moment before I let go of the plate, waiting patiently as he finished drying it and placing it on the rack.

Wanting to touch him again, I reached over and took his hand in mine; they were cold to the touch. I lightly traced over the scars on his hand from his accident, pressing a gentle kiss on his knuckles.

"Sophie…" I heard him whisper, my eyes flicking up to meet his. He lowered his head down, his eyes focusing on my lips. My lips parted as he came closer, his lips a breadth apart.

"Yes. What is it?" I whispered, my heart hammering in my chest. He was so close now and all I wanted was for him to kiss me, to kiss me like I haven't ever been kissed before.

"Don't stop," he answered me, before he finally pressed his lips to mine. He pulled me tightly against his body, deepening the kiss. My hands found their way around his neck, my fingers lacing in his hair. He kissed me once more and then picked me up in his arms, one supporting my back, the other underneath my knees. He carried me out of the kitchen and to his room. He put me down, closing the door behind him with his foot.

Stephen's lips were on mine again, his hands cupping my face as we stood in the middle of the room, not breaking the kiss for a few minutes. He walked me back towards the bed, coming up for air, so that we could sit down upon it. I pushed him back against the pillows, straddling his lap. I leaned down and kissed him again, wanting his touch all over me. Our make-out session was getting heated and I moved my lips down to his jaw and then to his neck. I trailed kisses up to his ear, nipping a bit, eliciting a moan from him.

Meeting his lips again, he made the move to push me down on the mattress, his hands pinning mine above my head, fingers lacing together. He trailed more passionate kisses down to my collarbone before momentarily pausing his actions. He removed his hands from mine, sitting up putting some space between us.

"Everything okay?" I asked, breathing hard from the make-out session. He nodded and I placed a hand on his shoulder, getting him to look at me.

"You have no idea what you do to me Sophie. I could kiss you forever. I just want to touch you but I don't want to rush this relationship. I like you too much and I don't want to screw anything up," he told me. I smiled and kissed his cheek, laying my chin on his shoulder.

"I like you too. I'm sorry. We can stop. We could watch a movie and cuddle if you want to. I don't want to rush this relationship either but I do love kissing you," I stated, causing him to laugh. He took my hand in his, kissing it bringing another smile to my lips. I moved as he got off the bed and turned on the TV and the DVD player. Selecting a horror movie from the bookcase next to the TV, he popped it in, joining me back on the bed. We lifted up the covers and climbed in next to each other, his arm wrapping around my shoulders. He pulled me closer to him so I could rest my head on his chest and pressed play. It was a nice feeling being around him and I was happy he had asked me out on a date.

The movie ended and we laid down next to each other, looking deep into each other's eyes. Stephen caressed my cheek, kissing me sweetly.

"Stay the night? I don't want you to leave just yet. I like being near you," he told me, his voice low and raspy. Exhaustion was taking over both us, the night getting later and I didn't want to return to the compound.

"Sure. I'd like that," I responded, snuggling him, my head nuzzling his neck. I don't know how long it took us to fall asleep but when I awoke, the sun was peeping in through the window. The next thing I noticed was Stephen's arm draped across my torso, our fingers laced together. I turned to face him and ran my hand through his hair, my thumb resting against his cheek, rubbing back and forth.

"Good morning Stephen," I whispered, receiving a hum in return. He opened his eyes and pulled me into a kiss. He rolled me onto my back and continued kissing me, the passion from the previous night returning. He nipped at my bottom lip, gently, my lips parting for him to slip his tongue inside.

"Mm…Stephen. What happened to not rushing things?" I murmured in between kisses, teasing him. He laughed and kissed me one last time before pulling away. He returned to his side of the bed.

"I'm stopping but I can't help it if you're so irresistible," he commented, eliciting a giggle from me. We got out of the bed and had breakfast together before he returned me to the compound before training started for the day.

"Can I see you again? There's a show coming next week I'd like to take you to," he asked me. I nodded and he kissed me goodbye, returning to the Sanctum.

"Looks like someone had a good time," Steve greeted me as he walked by, water bottle and towel in hand.

"One of the best times ever," I replied.

'Training begins in ten minutes. See you down there," he told me. I nodded and headed up to my room to change.


	4. One Battle and the Second Date

Steve, Natasha, Wanda, Bruce and I had been called out to investigate two boys who had the ability to send out sonic waves and pulses. They had been causing chaos in the city and they wanted us to stop them from creating anymore.

"The goal is not to kill them but to stop them and get them detained," Steve commanded to us on the jet on the way to our location. We nodded and then Wanda spoke up.

"What are their names?" she asked. Steve looked through the file we had been sent with us and told us that their names were Hunter and Colby Jacobs. They were only a few years apart and their powers had been a natural part of their lives. They just had chosen to use them for malicious intent rather than using them for something good.

"What happens if they don't let us detain them?" I asked, afraid of what would happen if they gave us no choice but to kill them.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that, the less casualties the better. We're here. Wanda, Nat you two come from behind. I'll try to distract them long enough to let you restrain them from harming any others. Bruce, get ready to Hulk out if we need you to use your strength to hold them back. Sophie, be prepared to use your fire column to keep them from running from the area. Ready? Let's go team. Remember, detain them only," He replied, as the jet came to a landing.

We opened the back and climbed out, going to our positions, Steve approaching them cautiously. Colby had dark blonde hair; Hunter, a reddish brown color to his hair. Their eyes matched, a glowing light purplish-blue, the color matching their sonic waves we had been told about.

"Hello, Hunter, Colby. We don't want to hurt you. We've been asked to take you to some place where you can't hurt anyone. If you come with us willingly, no harm will come to you. We can-," he began to explain, trying to reason with them until, one of the brothers sent out a wave and sent Cap flying to the ground. He grunted, signaling to Wanda to hold their arms from moving. Unfortunately they saw her coming, turning to clap their hands, huge pulses sending both her and Natasha into a car behind them, debris hitting the buildings surrounding us.

"Bruce! Now!" Steve called out, pulling himself up, throwing up his shield, ready to charge them if necessary. Bruce changed into the Hulk, running into the boys, knocking them off their feet and onto their backs. This only fueled their anger, their hands hitting the ground hard, an overwhelming sonic wave rumbling the ground. I watched as the Hulk was slammed into a building, the windows shattering, momentarily stunning him. I launched my attack, a wall of fire hitting both boys square on, trying to separate them.

It seemed if they were working together, they were stronger and the goal was not to kill them. If we separated them, the less likely they'd be able to throw us off our guard. Hunter screamed, the sound so loud it made me clasp my hands over my ears, the wall of fire disappearing. It distracted me long enough for Colby to come close enough to punch me, the power sending me rolling a few feet away.

S_o much for the separation theory, _I thought as I pulled myself up, picking gravel out of the cut on my forehead and my hands. Steve, charging them with his shield was met with resistance, Hunter grabbing it and slamming his fist down upon it, sending him into a building as well.

"You think to defeat us. We can tell you, it won't be that easy. We will not stand down and let you capture us. We will destroy you before that happens," They spoke at the same time and in sync which was little eerie if you asked me. I created a couple of fire tornadoes and propelled them forward towards the brothers, hoping to catch them off guard. They dodged them, their hands pushing my tornadoes down the street towards innocent people. Grunting, I pushed them upwards to the sky, smothering the flames before they could hurt anyone. Wanda had moved from the car and wrapped her magic around Hunter and launched him into a tree, knocking him to his knees. Colby growled at his brother's distress and stomped his foot down, the motion sending the asphalt up and towards her, giving her barely enough time to deflect the debris. Some of it sliced her skin; she cried out at the pain. Natasha whipped out her batons, running towards them, Steve joining her as they blocked him from using his powers to attack us. They had him pinned for a moment, but hadn't realized that Hunter was up, one hand on the ground, sending various pulses into the ground, pushing them both away from Colby.

I levitated over to him, kicking him in the chest, having to engage in hand to hand combat to push him back, trying to make him tired, preventing him from being able to conjure up any pulses. Hunter hit me square in the chest, the breath rushing out of me as I collided with a light post at the strong pulse. I fell to my knees, clutching my stomach, coughing slightly. Bruce was up charging Hunter now, succeeding in stunning him despite the pulse sent his way, Colby screamed and moved his hands in a way that had Bruce flying in the air and then being slammed back down.

"Steve, they're too strong. We need to find a way to tire them out or separate them far enough where they can't see each other. The angrier they get at seeing each other hurt, the stronger the attack," I said.

"Okay, Wanda and Sophie get Hunter. Nat and I will try to get Colby as far away as possible," he ordered. We rushed Hunter and Colby, a mistake that left us colliding with each other as they had stood beside each other, slamming their hands to the ground and flexing their hand up send a huge wave; a direct hit to the four of us. We groaned as we got up to our feet, breathing hard.

"Okay, we need a new plan of attack. Wanda, do you think you can push one back from here and pull the other one to us at the same time?" Steve asked, wiping blood from his mouth.

" I can try. Hang on," She replied, pushing with one hand and pulling with the other. Hunter went flying back a few feet, Colby pulled towards, Steve landing a punch to his face. Wanda and Nat moved forward to fight Hunter, leaving Steve and me to take on Colby. Bruce lifted himself up to help the girls. I was shoved back with a pulse and watched with horror as Colby was generating a huge wave directing it at Steve with full force.

"Steve! Look out!" I yelled, pulling myself forward, landing in between him and the sonic wave. I shoved him out of the wave, taking on the full force of the wave, the blast sending me flying into a concrete wall behind us. I crumpled, crying out as my back made contact first, the pain flooding my body.

"Sophie! Are you alright?" I registered Steve's voice calling out to me. Spots danced around my vision unable to pinpoint which direction he came from; I coughed, blood splattering the ground.

"Give…me…a minute," I replied between breaths, the oxygen slowly returning to my body. I pulled on my fire healing ability, watching it coil around my arms, legs and torso; the heat being a low simmer, fixing the damage caused by the wave. I slowly rose to my feet, one arm clutching my stomach, wincing at the pain still lingering in some places.

"Ready to end this?" Steve asked me, glancing in the direction where our enemies were located. Hunter and Colby were now fighting against Wanda, Natasha and Bruce, sending blasts at them to knock them off their guard.

"Certainly. Let's get this over with so we can go home," I answered, fueling the fire in my fists. I slammed them down on the ground sending two walls of fire to the targets, controlling it so as to not harm the other teammates. My attack succeeded into knocking them on their back.

"Thanks for the help Soph. Now secure them," Nat ordered. As I sent a column of fire down to trap them, another wave vibrated the ground towards us. Prepared for it this time, Steve and I rolled out of the way of its path. Charging towards the boys, I levitated, raining multiple fireballs down upon them. They dodged, sending mini pulses upwards, sending me sprawling backwards.

Launching another attack at my teammates, I blocked it with a firewall, distracting them from Wanda, who used her powers to restrain them from moving.

"Secure them. Now, please," she stated, struggling to restrain them as they were sending pulses through their bodies to break through her hold on them. Creating another column around our enemies, I allowed Wanda to release her hold on them, lowering myself beside her. I formed another column around them, thick enough to prevent them from breaking through and escaping.

"Great work team. I'll call this in and then we can take the jet back to the compound," Steve stated. We were all sweaty and tired, ready to wind down for the day. About a half hour later a chopper came to escort our opponents to a secure prison location; we got on the jet to return home.

"So, Sophie, are you seeing Stephen tonight?" Natasha asked me on the way back to the compound. It was a five hour flight back; the others were asleep leaving Nat and I the only ones awake.

No, tomorrow night. He's taking me to a show downtown, then dinner afterwards," I told her, the thought of seeing Stephen bringing a smile to my lips.

"This will be what, the second date?" Have you slept with him yet?" She asked, a teasing grin on her lips. She was blunt with how she approached me about my relationship with him and I suddenly felt embarrassed about my choice to wait to have sex with him. I tucked my hair behind my ears, heat rising to my face.

"No. I was waiting until the third date to do that," I responded, uncomfortable with the question.

"I'm only teasing you. I think it's sweet you're waiting. It makes the experience more thrilling that way. I do have to ask though. You _do_ want to sleep with him right?" she commented, giving me a playful shove.

"Of course I do. I really like him but I don't want to screw this up if we rush things. I don't want to lose this wonderful relationship we have," I remarked, picking at my fingers, the heat on my face more intense.

"I think you're in love with him. You've been different ever since the party. You're more vibrant, more confident. It's like he's pulling you out of your shell. That's great. I'm happy for you," Nat told me. I didn't know if that was true or not. I hadn't really thought about it much.

"Maybe. I don't know. What about you and Cap? You two seem to be hanging out a lot more lately," I stated, changing the subject.

"I don't know. We're close but I don't know if our friendship will progress to anything more," She answered, peeking over her shoulder at his sleeping form.

"Do you want it to? From what I can tell, you two have great chemistry. I think things could work out," I said, expressing my opinion.

"I wouldn't mind if it did. Okay, sure I'd like it to but I don't know if he wants it to. We don't really talk about it much. We're both private about things like that," she replied.

"You won't know if you don't try. You helped me with Stephen. Maybe you should try to take your own advice. I mean that in the most positive way," I told her. She simply nodded, concentrating on flying the jet. The last few hours were spent in silence, exhaustion present in both of us; all we wanted was a shower and to get some rest after the long battle we had. Arriving at the compound, we saw to the wounds we received during the fight, retiring shortly to our rooms. I showered and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I drifted off into a deep slumber.

The next morning, we met downstairs for training, my partner being Bucky this time; He managed to send me sprawling on my back several times, but I still took him by surprise myself.

"I think someone is a little distracted this morning. Are you thinking about someone in particular? Strange, for instance?" Bucky teased me, a playful smirk on his lips. He threw a punch but I dodged it, leaning under him, causing him to stumble. I kicked out low, knocking him off his feet; he fell to his knees, grunting.

"Maybe I am, but I'm not really all that distracted. Still managed to take you down a few times," I answered as he got back up. We were breathing hard and sweating. It was my turn to strike out, but he caught my fist, bending it behind my back.

"Are you sure about that? Normally, you fight better than this. Seems to me that you can't get him out of your head for the moment," he stated, preventing me from moving. I shot out a quick fireball from my free hand, Bucky letting go to dodge it, before I pushed myself close to him and kicked him in the stomach. He stumbled back a few paces, regaining his balance and tackled me to the mattress, pinning me down.

"I think this makes me the winner," he said, smirking as I struggled against his weight, or so he thought.

"Or does it?" I asked, confusing him enough to hook my leg under his, flipping him over onto his back, the wind knocked out of him.

"Well done, Sophie. All right guys, let's break for lunch and then you're free for the rest of the day," Steve ordered. I got off Bucky, stretching out my hand to help him up and we went down to kitchen for water and sandwiches, talking with each other. Stephen wasn't picking me up until 6:45, so after lunch I spent the rest of the day lounging by the pool reading. Around four, I returned to my room to get ready for tonight's date.

Stephen had texted me to tell me to dress casual for the show; I changed into a pair of dark blue shorts and a green t-shirt, throwing on a pair of black converse. I pulled my hair into a ponytail before deciding that I liked it better down, letting it sit on my shoulders, putting on a little bit of eyeliner and a nude eye-shadow, leaving my lips natural.

"You know, I may not be able to keep my hands off of you tonight seeing you dressed like that," Stephen's voice alerted me from my door. Startled, I turned to see him leaning against the door-frame, wearing a light gray t-shirt, which showed off the muscles in his chest and in his arms, black jeans and tennis shoes. That same rogue piece of hair lay on his forehead, his crystal blue eyes shining.

"I wouldn't mind having your hands on me tonight. Perhaps that's why I dressed this way. Maybe I wanted to distract you," I said, walking closer to him. When I reached him, I took his hands, placing them on my shoulders; I trailed them down my skin to my hips. His eyes followed the motion, flickering back up to meet my gaze. He looped his fingers through the belt loops of my shorts, pulling me close to his body; one hand cradled the small of my back, the other tilting my chin up; our lips were now inches apart.

I parted my lips a little at the sudden movement, my hands resting on his chest, Stephen's lips ghosting over mine.

"We haven't even left for the show and you've already gotten me craving your touch," he whispered, pulling back too soon. _Okay, two can play this game, _I thought to myself. I brushed my fingers down his chest, slipping them under his shirt, gliding them lightly against his warm skin. At his sharp intake of breath, I looked up to notice he had closed his eyes at my touch. I moved my hands around to his back, feeling the muscles there; Stephen's eyes fluttered open.

"We should leave for the show," he stated, his voice soft, head bent to capture my lips in a kiss.

"Okay, but I was having fun teasing you," I whispered in his ear. He shivered, pulling my hands from under his shirt, linking one and pulling me out of the room.

"Keep doing that and I'll have to let you continue. Maybe I'll even have to tease you myself," he told me, forming a portal in front of us. We stepped through to downtown New York on our way to the show.

Turns out the show had a horror theme to it; something we both enjoyed. There were three acts and people were pulled onto stage, an audience participation portion that we hadn't anticipated. We laughed at the hilarious skits people were put through, awed by the acrobatic skills the performers had; we hadn't stopped holding hands from the moment we left the compound.

At the end, a standing ovation was given and we left for dinner at a small diner, which had a cozy atmosphere. I still had his hand in mine, releasing it to trace his scars every now and then. We shared a milkshake enjoying every bit of each other's company. Leaving the diner, we walked around, holding hands and talking, not wanting the night to end.

"Is it that late already? I guess I should take you back home," Stephen commented, looking at his watch, checking the time; it was close to 11.

"I'd rather stay with you again," I remarked, knowing full well that I had to return for another training session in the morning. He sighed and with reluctance created a portal to the compound. We walked through and found the other Avengers hanging out in the T.V. room.

"Welcome back, you two lovebirds. Have fun?" Tony greeted us.

"Very much so," we answered, Stephen and I glancing at each other, adoration in our eyes.

"Come, join us. We were about to start a movie. It's a horror movie. You might like it," Tony invited us, a pleading look on his face.

"What do you think? Shall we?" I asked Stephen, gesturing to the couches in front of us.

"Sure, I wasn't ready for the night to end anyway. A few more hours couldn't hurt," he replied, leading me to one of the bigger chairs, pulling me into his lap. One arm wrapped around my waist, the other lying on the armrest.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. turn off the lights," Tony said, hitting play on the remote. The movie started and during some parts I felt Stephen rubbing circles in my side, a soothing motion. He glided his hand down and under my shirt, continuing the motion; he slid his hands to my back, discreetly unhooking my bra. He moved his back to the front, the pad of his thumb grazing my breast, passing lightly over the nipple. My gasp was timed perfectly with the current scene in the movie as he did so. He moved his arm on the armrest down to rest on my thigh. He continued to tease me until the movie was over, careful to re-hook my bra in a way no one else would notice.

"May I walk you to your room?" Stephen asked as I slid out his lap, standing to the side so he could get up. I nodded, saying goodnight to my friends, intertwining my hand in his. At my room, I pulled him inside, his hands sliding into my hair, kissing me. I broke the kiss to pull him to my bed and pushing him to lie against the pillows. I straddled him, meeting his lips once more; he held me against him, deepening the kiss.

"Want to go to a movie next week?" he asked me, pulling back. I nodded, pulling him into another kiss.

"One more thing. How about we make our relationship official? Would you like to become my girlfriend?" he asked, breaking the kiss again.

"I've been waiting for you to ask me that. The answer is yes. I'd love to be your girlfriend," I responded. He pulled me into a tight embrace, kissing my cheek, then my lips. He slid us down so I was lying on top of him, my hands caressing his jaw, continuing to kiss him. After what felt like a half hour, we stopped kissing, my head resting on his chest; he stroked my hair, one hand resting on my arm.

"I have to go back to the Sanctum. I'll see you next week. Is Thursday okay with you?" he told me. I squeezed him tighter not wanting him to leave, wanting him to stay here with me. He squeezed me back, but got up anyways. I followed him to the door, kissing him before giving a response.

"Thursday is perfect," I replied, earning one last kiss before he created a portal and left to return to the Sanctum.


	5. Can't Get Enough Of You

A/N: This the first part of two chapters. It was getting kind of long so I decided to do two parts for them. More intimacy occurs after this one. Stay tuned.

_Breathe, Sophie. Just breathe,_ I thought to myself as I shuffled through the clothes in my closet plagued by indecision on what would be perfect to wear on the third date with Stephen. This was _the _date, the one where I'd allow myself to be up for anything and tonight I was hoping…l_onging_ for his touch. I wanted to be enveloped by him, to have his passionate kisses all over my body. I wanted him to let his hands roam wherever they pleased. Even the thoughts of pleasure made a warmth pool in my core, made my face flush with desire.

"The red halter top with the black skirt should be perfect if you're still having trouble choosing your outfit," a voice spoke, silencing the thoughts floating around in my mind. I turned to the source of the voice and was surprised to see Steve standing outside my room; only he wasn't dressed in his casual clothing. He was wearing his combat suit-the one he usually wore for missions-instead of the navy t-shirt and jeans he had on this morning.

"Is there trouble? Wait, why didn't you come get me? Did you just get the call? Should I-"I began, the idea of a mission overtaking the date tonight. Steve held a hand up, stopping me in the middle of my question.

"We don't need you to come with us this time. I know you've been looking forward to seeing Strange, so I'm giving you the night off. Well, actually, the next three days off," he remarked.

"Thank you. Hold on you said the next three days? Are you sure you don't need-,"

"Sophie, take the days off. That's an order. The rest of us are going to Australia for this mission. Enjoy yourself,"

"But…"

"Have. Fun," Steve said, ending the argument there. I sighed, lowering my head surrendering to the fact that I was given the time off.

"Yeah, because you'll be the only one in the compound. I'm certain you'll think of some ways to…entertain yourself," Nat's voice called out as she walked by my chambers on the way to the jet, currently on standby, occupied by the remaining Avengers.

"See you in three days. Have fun. Relax," Steve told me, leaving me to get ready for tonight. I had the entire compound to myself, no one to bother us or to walk in on us, for three days. Curling my lips into smile, I thought of having Stephen all to myself here at the empty compound. _All the things we could do,_ I thought, strolling over to my dresser and turning on the portable speaker sitting on top.

Finding the perfect music to play, I busied myself in getting ready; I danced around in my underwear-a crimson, strapless bra accompanied by matching silk panties-putting on makeup, the red eye-shadow highlighting my eyes.

Satisfied with the end result, I slid on the black leather mini skirt, the pleats resting a few inches above my knees. The silky, red halter top showed off my tanned shoulders, the neckline plunging, leaving the proper amount of cleavage exposed; it wasn't too much to cause people to stare but enough to capture Stephen's attention. I released my hair, the curls coming to rest against my collarbones, smoothing everything out to look presentable. Exiting my room-phone and purse in hand- I descended the stairs to wait for Stephen's arrival.

A few minutes went by when a knock sounded at the front door, signaling his arrival. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I opened the door to reveal Stephen standing outside; the outfit he wore left me breathless. He had on a standard red long sleeve shirt, dark blue jeans and brown shoes to match. His hair had been combed back, his blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

"Wow, you look stunning," he greeted me, extending his hand towards me. I placed mine in his, Stephen pulling me into a tight embrace. I inhaled the scent of him, nuzzling my face in the crook of his neck, closing my eyes for a moment.

His hands-a slight warmth to them this time-drifted against my back, shifting my hair to one side. He let one hand linger against the back of my neck, the other still holding my body close. We stayed like this for another moment, pulling back to share a kiss, his hands having moved to cup my jaw. My arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, securing Stephen to me. We kissed one more, Stephen's arm locking around my waist, opening a portal; the theater appeared in front of us.

We stepped through to the box office, purchasing our tickets and going inside for the showing. We headed to the back of the auditorium, sitting in our seats; Stephen lifted up the armrest between us, draping his arm around my shoulders allowing me to rest my head against him. During the movie, I kept itching to touch him, my hand curled into a fist to restrain from brushing the side of his thigh. It would've been easier if I hadn't noticed him staring at me during various parts of the film.

He wasn't just staring, but giving me looks of desire; ones which caused my heart rate to spike sending waves of electricity to settle in my loins. Unable to resist any longer, I uncurled my fist, inching my fingers to linger first against the side of his leg, then on top of his thigh; I gave it a quick squeeze, and heard his sharp intake of breath. Shifting my head a little, I caught another one of his "looks", one that drifted to my lips and back up again to meet my eyes. He leaned in to capture my lips in a kiss, the arm draped over my shoulders retreating to my thigh; he slid the thin material up, giving him access to touch the inner side of it. I gasped as he slid his hand closer to my panties, a finger slipping underneath the silky fabric.

Stifling a moan as he inserted his finger inside my core, my hand gripped his thigh, eliciting a low growl from his mouth. He removed his hand, hooking his arm under my legs, the other gripping my torso; he pulled me into his lap, holding me sideways to both kiss me and to slide my panties off me.

"Do you think you'll be able to stay quiet?" he whispered, his lips dangerously close to mine, handing me my underwear, which I stuffed in my purse. I nodded, moving his hand underneath my skirt. He inserted two fingers and stroked my folds; I bit my bottom lip to keep from making a sound, waves of pleasure spreading within my body. My hands gripped Stephen's shirt, bunching the soft fabric as he continued to work me; I had soaked his hand at this point, a shaky breath escaping my lips.

He took the opportunity to kiss me deeply, his tongue slipping inside of my mouth, stroking my own. My hands slid into his hair, tugging gently causing him to deepen the kiss even more. We were so lost in each other that we were no longer paying attention to the screen in front of us, our actions drove us both wild, pushing each other closer to the edge. He removed his fingers, breaking our kiss to suck my juices off his fingers.

"Delicious. I'd love to have more of you later," he purred. My gaze drifted to his hand, pulling it to my mouth. I sucked on each finger, my tongue swirling around them, his turn to keep quiet.

"Sophie, we should really get out of here. You're driving me crazy and I need you…now," he told me, shifting in his seat. His erection pressed against my ass, the craving for him growing stronger. Deciding to prolong my teasing, I rubbed my ass against him, a groan escaping his throat.

"Please, Sophie. You've got to stop doing that. I can barely contain myself," he stated, his hands clutching the edge of his seat, bone white from holding on too tight; His voice sounded strained, like he was holding back another moan.

"Stop doing what? _This_?" I asked, teasing him a bit more, watching as he tilted his head back, curling his lips in to stay quiet. Grinning, I kissed his neck, sucking and nibbling in various places; Stephen's breath quickened as I continued to torment him with my teasing.

"Sophie…please, I'm begging you…to stop. I don't know how…much longer I can hold myself…back," he stated in between breaths, his voice raspy and raw.

"Ooh, _doctor_, I like hearing you beg," I told him, my words rumbling low in his ear. Satisfied with myself, I ceased my movements, allowing him to relax his hands; he took a couple of slow, long breaths to get back in control.

"Everything okay _doctor_? I thought for a minute there you were going to-," I remarked cut off by his lips pressed to mine.

"You, my dear, are a tease. I'd like to take you home and punish you for that," he murmured, encasing me in his arms and getting up, carrying me down the stairs of the theater.

He put me down outside, tugging me in the direction of the Sanctum.

"Why don't we return to my place? The compound is...completely…empty, no one to…interrupt us," I stated, my fingers crawling up his chest slowly, making my point absolutely clear.

"Very well. The closer the place, the faster I can get you out of those clothes," he stated, forming a portal to the compound pulling me through. It appeared he wanted to resume our theater shenanigans because he had brought us to my room, pulling me into a kiss, his hands tangling in my hair.

He lifted me up, carrying me to the bed, laying me down; he slipped off my skirt, discarding it to the floor. He lied down on top of me, his fingers finding my sweet spot, coaxing a moan out of my lips. My hands latched on to the edge of his shirt, lifting it up pausing his actions-so I could pull it off of him.

I brushed my hands over his toned chest and stomach, grazing over his belt and undoing it. I quickly unbuttoned his jeans unzipping them; I hooked my fingers and pulled both jeans and boxers down, releasing the full extent of him. I pushed him back, sitting up and pulled him to me, kissing him; my tongue licked his lower lip, asking for entrance. His lips parted, allowing me to slip my tongue inside, both of us fighting for dominance, moaning for more. Stephen's hands slid behind my neck, trembling a little while untying the knot holding my halter top up. The fabric fell to my waist, Stephen pulling it off of my head; both us now totally naked.

He kissed me pushing me back until my head hit the pillows, his lips capturing mine, his hands brushing all over my body. He intertwined our fingers, holding them above my head. Hooking my leg under his, I rolled him over; trapping his hands trailing light kisses from his lips to his chest. I removed my fingers, his hands flying down to my back; I pulled them off, placing them back in their previous position.

"Keep them there until I tell you otherwise," I told him, a dominating tone to my voice.

"Yes ma'am," he stated, arching an eyebrow. I kissed him passionately, my tongue overtaking his, kissed his jaw; I trailed the hungry kisses down to his chest. I swirled my tongue around both nipples, moving down to his stomach. Lower I went until I reached the length of him, tiny kisses left upon his shaft.

"Sophie…" he moaned as my tongue lapped at the tip. I briefly looked up to see he still hadn't moved his hands, his eyes closed from the pleasure currently coursing through his body.

"Shh, let me pleasure you. You're welcome to move your hands if you want," I told him, my hands wrapping around him, moving up and down. I pulled his into my mouth licking and sucking, driving him wild, pushing him closer to the edge until he spilled into my mouth. I swallowed, licking my lips clean ready to take him again; I leaned over Stephen to pull out a condom from the nightstand drawer. Tearing the packaging open with my teeth, I pulled it out, placing it over him and slid him inside me; He moaned and placed his hands on my hips. I rode him slow at first, keeping his hands in place. I picked up the pace, both of us starting to sweat; our easy breathing turned into a pant.

He came first, his fingers digging into my skin, his body shuddering beneath me. Leaning up to kiss me, he flipped me over, linking our fingers again.

"It's my turn now," he stated, pumping in and out of my body, his lips connecting with mine, locked in a make-out session; our hips in sync as he drove me over the edge. My nails dug into his back as a loud moan echoed throughout the room, one that came directly from my mouth.

Pulling out, he disposed of the condom, returning to my side, kissing my neck and moving down until he reached my core. His tongue expertly darted in and out, sucking me; my hands involuntarily clenched the sheets, my legs spreading farther apart giving him more access. Another wave of pleasure rocked me, another scream of delight spilling from my mouth as I cried out his name. Cleaning his lips, he kissed me shifting the sheets over us.

He held me close to him, my head resting on his chest, an arm across his waist.

"That was fun. Who knew you could be so dominant?" he commented, stroking my back.

"Nobody until you," I answered, earning a chuckle from him. He crooked a finger under my chin, kissing me sweetly.

"I love you Sophie," Stephen said, throwing me off guard. I thought about my conversation with Natasha on the jet a week ago and how she had said that she thought I had fallen in love with him. Had I? The answer to that questions was…Yes, I had.

"I love you too, " I responded with complete certainty. I kissed him once more, turning out the light. We fell asleep in each other's arms, the truth of our feelings revealed.


	6. Second Helping

The early morning sun peeked through the blinds of my room, the brightness making me squint my eyes tight against it and roll over, my face now pressed into the chest of my warm companion. I looked up at Stephen admiring the peaceful way he slept, his tousled hair laying on his face. I ran my hand through his hair, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek and slipped out of his grasp to prepare breakfast for two. I searched for something quick to wear, trying not to make any noise letting him sleep a little longer. I settled on grabbing Stephen's shirt from the night before and slipped it over my head, padding quietly from the room.

Going downstairs, I headed straight for the kitchen, turning on the lights and walking over to the fridge. I pulled out a carton of eggs, a package each of bacon and sausage, carefully balancing them on the way to the counter-space near the stove. Placing them down, I made quick work of finding some pans to cook the food in and fired up the stovetops, placing both pans on top heating them up. Passing my hand over the pan, but not touching the bottom, the heat hit the palm of my hand allowing me to be able to crack some eggs into it and begin to fry them.

As I put the bacon and sausage in the other pan, something or rather someone warm pressed into my back, two arms sliding around my waist, my lips turning upwards into a smile.

"Good morning sweetheart. You look great in my shirt by the way," Stephen's deep voice greeted me, the low rumble vibrating in my ear, his chin resting on one of my shoulders. I flipped the eggs careful to not break the yolk in the center.

"Thank you, my love. Are you hungry? I've made bacon and eggs-," I commented cut off by Stephen turning my body to face him – he was only half naked because of the stolen shirt, having put on jeans before coming down to join me – and pressed his lips against mine. We kissed again, breaking apart and gazing deep into each other's eyes.

"Yes, if you must know. I'm very hungry for more than one thing," he told me, cupping my face. I pressed my cheek into his palm, my hand not holding the spatula, taking his hand and kissing the center of the palm.

"Breakfast first, then we'll see about feeding your _other_ hunger later," I said, winking at him before turning back to the food, finishing up and plating the eggs and meat, handing one to Stephen and directing him to the dining table. I put my plate down and went to grab a couple of mugs, pouring us some coffee; Stephen wanted his black and I put a little bit of creamer in mine, cutting the bitter taste of the rich liquid and returned to the table.

"I thought it might be a good idea to venture out to Central Park today. Maybe even get some ice cream and walk around, talk some. But first, I should stop by the Sanctum and grab some fresh clothes if I'm going to be spending the next few nights here," Stephen told me, holding my hand and rubbing the back of hand with his thumb.

"Sounds like a good idea. Though I'm not entirely ready to give your shirt back," I teased, popping the last bite of my egg in my mouth, a playful smile on my lips.

"Guess I'm going to have to convince you to give it back then,"

"Oh really? How are you planning on doing that exactly?"

"Let's clean this up and I'll show you,"

Cleaning up the dishes, we raced back to my room, Stephen pushing me against the bed, climbing on top of me. My hands slid around his back, the muscles rippling against my fingertips as he lowered himself down, our bodies pressed close.

He kissed me slow, yet hungry with passion, his tongue slipping past my lips' barrier, tangling with my own. His hands slid under the hem of the shirt, pushing it up my waist, my hands moving to grab his wrists and pulling them away. Rolling him over, I leaned down to kiss him, pinning his hands above his head while we made out, releasing them to brush my hands down his chest.

Again his hands returned to lift off his shirt from my body, sitting up to remove it completely, my breasts rubbing against his chest.

"My, my doctor. I think you have thoroughly convinced me," I stated, gasping as his thumbs grazed over my sensitive skin, my nipples hardening at his touch.

"Great. Now, I'd like to continue kissing you if that's alright?"

I nodded as our lips locked once more, him pulling me down on top of him, his hands rubbing my back, my hands snaking in his already tousled hair. We made out for a while, our lips swollen once we finally broke apart, stopping our actions before we got too carried away.

"Let's get dressed and head out. Do you feel like doing a movie night later?" he stated, picking me up from the bed and carrying me over to my wardrobe.

"Count me in," I answered, giving his a final kiss, unwinding my legs from his waist as he set me down. I picked out a light blue tank top, and white denim shorts, brown sandals to match and he changed back into his outfit from last night; we went through a portal to the Sanctum to grab some clothes for Stephen. He changed into a dark green t-shirt and black jeans and tennis shoes, stuffing the other clothes in a duffle bag.

Leaving the Sanctum, we stopped by a ice cream parlor and got us a couple of vanilla cones, heading to Central Park to walk around and talk for a few hours or at least until lunch time.

"Enjoying your ice cream?" he asked me, taking a bite of his own.

"Yes, most definitely. Oh, hey Stephen. I think you've got a little bit on your face," I commented, a trick up my sleeve.

"What? Where?"

"Right…here!" I stated, swiping some on his nose with my cone.

"You didn't just do that. If you had, I might've done this,"

He swiped some on both of my cheeks; squeals from the cold treat escaping my lips.

"That's it. You've started an ice cream war," I said, sliding the dripping cream all over his face, laughing at his shocked expression.

"Come here, Sophie. I'm getting you back for that,"

He tried to do the same to me but I ran, Stephen easily catching up to me, locking his arms around me; no escape from his own cone. Squeals of delight came from my mouth as he licked the ice cream from my neck and kissing my nose to get it from there as well; he kissed me, our lips sticking together from the ice cream.

"Here, let me clean the rest off," he told me, taking a napkin to my face doing his best to get rid of the stickiness.

"Lean down for a minute," I stated, kissing his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, ending with his lips; the remainder of the sticky liquid I wiped off with a napkin, kissing him again. Breaking the kiss, we threw our ruined cones in a trashcan continuing our walk through Central Park, his arm draped over my shoulders and talking about everything we could think of. We left the park an hour later to grab lunch at a pizzeria, heading back to the compound, the rest saved for dinner tonight; we started our movie night, nothing but horror movies, and cuddled on the couch.

I switched from my head on his chest to stretching out and placing my head on his lap, one of his hands lying flat on my chest, tracing his scars absentmindedly.

" Can I ask you a question?" he asked, his blue eyes capturing mine.

"Of course,"

"Why do you do that? Trace my scars I mean? Not that I mind but I've just noticed you've done that every time we're together and holding hands.

"Oh, I like them, your scars. Plus, your hands have a slight cool touch to them. It's a really nice feeling to me," I responded, tracing his pointer finger.

"You don't think they're ugly?" he asked, an insecurity revealing itself, something I hadn't realized he had.

"Stephen, I think they're beautiful. They're one of my favorite things about you other than that lovely personality of yours and those gorgeous blue eyes. I love how you hold me tight in bed and how you kiss me in such a way that leaves me wanting more. I love you…with my whole heart," I confessed, sitting up, linking both of my hands with his.

"Sophie…I love you too. I love everything about you, including the way you're always excited to see me when I come over. I love the way you tease me even when you don't know you're even doing it. My most favorite things though is when find ways to touch me including the way you trace my hands," he told me. He kissed me breaking our linked hands to cup my head, my arms wrapping around his neck. We kissed a few more times, Stephen sliding me down on the couch to lie on top of me, his hands slipping under my shirt.

"Wait, I think I'd rather continue _this_ in the shower. We both got a little sticky from our ice cream war this afternoon and I'd love to play around in there," I commented, pushing him back up and ridding him of his shirt to get the fun started.

"By all means, take us to the shower," he said, desire present in his eyes. I turned off the TV and pulled him to my room and towards the bathroom, turning on the shower. Waiting on the hot water, I stripped him of his jeans and underwear, Stephen removing my clothes as well. Testing the water, I got in, tugging him in. He backed my body against the cerulean blue tiled wall, the cold surface hitting my back, our lips smashing against each other. He pressed his hands on my breasts, kneading them and pinching my nipples. His tongue slid in my mouth, those same hands traveling down to spread my legs, slipping two fingers inside my core.

I moaned in his mouth, his pace picking up. Reaching down, I grabbed his cock, stroking him, pleasurable moans and groans slipping from his lips, our breathing turning into breathy pants. He moved his lips to my neck kissing and sucking on various spots, all sorts of pleasure shooting through me.

"I've got to be…inside you now. Please tell me you have a condom in here just to be safe," Stephen exclaimed, his pupils fully dilated with pleasure. He pulled back, allowing me to exit the shower and grab one from the vanity drawer underneath my sink and slip it onto him. He pulled me to the bench inside the shower, sitting me on his lap, effortlessly sliding inside my entrance. We both moaned loudly, not caring since there was no one around to hear us; the pleasure we felt skyrocketed inside us, hitting every nerve in our bodies. I rode him, bracing myself on his shoulders as our pace quickened, his hands grasping my hips. The climax hit him first, but he continued fucking me until I reached my orgasm, my walls clenching around him, my breath coming out shaky. I rested my head on his chest, both of us breathing hard, his arms holding me close.

I slipped off of him, standing under the showerhead as he disposed of the condom. I lathered up shampoo in my hair, my hands replaced by his, the massage he gave feeling heavenly. I rinsed it out, Stephen lathering up some body wash in his hands and rubbing it onto my skin, any excuse to keep touching me; he pulled my head back to kiss me, one finger slipping inside me once more. He stopped when he had me on the edge, having me lather him up before we got out and dried off.

I pulled him back to the bedroom where our fun continued. I spread out on the bed, getting him to lie on top of me to continue what he had started in the shower. He kissed me, spreading my legs with his knee and positioned his body at my entrance lining up his cock to slip inside me. He broke the passionate kiss for a moment to look at me, his desire burning into my soul.

"I want to make love to you slowly, intimately…passionately until exhaustion takes over and we end up in each other's arms," he told me, sheathing himself inside my body. He kissed me pumping in and out ever so slowly, our fingers linking together, my legs encasing his waist. I arched my back, my chest pressed into him, the passion increasing with each thrust, and each kiss. Hours later when the exhaustion set in after taking turns being on top and riding each other, when the sun began to rise, we were in each other's arms, our souls bonding to become one. I gave him one last glance before drifting off knowing that Stephen was the one person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.


	7. A Heart-Shattering Battle

A week after I had the compound to myself and spent two glorious nights with Stephen, my friends had returned from Australia; they had taken a couple of days off from the stress load of work to recuperate from the exhausting mission. Most of it was spent with them sleeping, reading or – like Steve had been doing – participating in rigorous exercise.

I had gone on two more dates with Stephen in that timespan, first to dinner and the second to a comedy show, the relationship between us continuing to grow. Today it would develop into something stronger.

Around 5 in the morning, we were called down for some much needed training; I got to spar with Steve for the first time in a couple of months. He always managed to push me to my limit, even past that point but I never complained. Training with him only increased my strength; strength that I would need if I were to survive a huge battle should it ever come up.

In all my years of being a fire-starter, I hadn't met someone who was my match but I needed to be prepared in case I happened upon that someone. Turns out that person would be that match in a gruesome battle this afternoon.

While I trained with Steve, he managed to send me tumbling to my ass a few times, striking in moves I didn't see coming, unable to counter-attack against them. I landed for the fifth time on my back; groaning as I got back up, sweat dripping from my forehead. Hell, sweat dripping from everywhere.

"Again! Try to watch my hands instead of my body. People could try to sneak in punches before you realize what's happening. Don't hold back Sophie. Try to attack with everything you've got," Steve stated, getting back into a defensive position, hands in front of his face prompting me to do the same. We circled each other, Steve striking out first. I dodged the punch, still circling, grunting as I kicked at his chest. He caught my foot, pushing me backwards. I stumbled back a little, regaining my balance.

"Remember, watch-," he stated, caught off guard by my quick jab to his stomach, followed by a low kick hooking under his ankle, his body hitting the ground with a thud. He grunted, dazed by the strike, getting back up.

"Watch your hands. I know," I told him, defending my body in preparation for his next move. It never came as Sam sprinted in the training room begging us to turn on the news. I grabbed my water bottle and towel, wiping the sweat from my face, the TV coming to life.

"In breaking news, there appears to be some sort of being terrorizing downtown Manhattan, fire enveloping the streets. Folks are fleeing from the attack to avoid being burned alive," the reporter explained, showing a live coverage of a man, shooting firewalls from his fingers, directing them at innocent civilians who were running out of his path.

"Well guess we're done training for the day. Time to go to work. Sophie, you'll come with Bucky, Natasha, Wanda, Sam and me downtown. You're great with fire. Maybe you can help us take him down with as few casualties as possible," Steve commanded. We exited the training room to suit up, packing in on the jet, flying towards our intended battlefield.

"Who is our assailant? Where did he come from? Why he's doing this?" Steve questioned, hooking his shield to his back and securing his helmet to his head.

"His name is Lane Jamison. He's from Earth, Michigan to be exact, but it looks like he's infected by some sort of fire virus-," Natasha began explaining.

"Fire demon and he's probably possessed instead of infected. I've seen my fair share of guys like him before you recruited me for this this team and they can be brutal," I interjected, looking over the clips we received on our computer we usually brought in case of researching the threats we got called out for.

"Do you have any idea why he would attack innocent people?" Steve questioned, his attention directed to me.

"From what I remember, these fire demons only care about chaos and destruction. They burn down anything they choose, even if it means-,"

"Killing people who get in their way. Alright, any clues on how to stop this thing?" Natasha interrupted, running her hand through her short red hair.

"Distract it long enough for me to expel it from the host. A word of caution, try not to get too close to him. It won't hesitate to burn you if it has the chance. If you have no other choice, don't let it touch you with its hands. That's where most of the power comes from," I explained.

"Expel? Like an exorcism? You're planning on exorcising it? Shouldn't we have called in your boyfriend to help with this?" Bucky asked, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"No, not exactly. As for Stephen, he's not needed for this specialty. So, no we don't need to alert him,"

We landed and got off, forming a circle to listen to last minute details.

"Distraction is the plan. Remember, Sophie said not to get too close. If there's no other option and you have to get close, don't let it touch you with its hands. Everyone be careful and-,"

"Stephen? What you doing here?" I interrupted Cap, glancing behind him when an approaching figure had begun to walk over to us; it turned out it was my love Stephen Strange.

"I'm here to help. I got word about an inter-dimensional threat. Some kind of fire parasite, so I've come to offer my services," he responded. That was odd. Why would he be given word about a parasite when that wasn't what was creating the problem.

"It's not a parasite. It's a demon. I really don't think…Nat, can you pull up his file again?" I explained, the feeling of dread washing over me. She did as I asked and I read through everything we had on Lane.

"He disappeared for a few months, came back angrier and more violent. Where did he disappear to?" I stated, talking to myself, until I felt a cool touch on my shoulder. Turning, I found Stephen looking at me, a concerned expression covering his features.

"He disappeared into a different dimension. Whatever is possessing him came from a different world," he told me. This may have been true, but it still didn't ease the discomfort I felt. Something didn't sit quite right in this current situation.

"Well we're glad to have an extra hand. Sophie, are you going to be okay with him being here? Sophie, are you all right?" Steve said, waving a hand in front of my face to tear my gaze away from Stephen.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It'll just be like old times. Remember, distractions only. Stephen…I love you. We should go. Things will be getting worse. Oh…one more thing. Beware, there's a chance he could be able to spawn more demons to help achieve his goal. Please, _be_ careful," I answered, sharing a kiss with my beloved before walking down to deal with the threat at hand.

"Soph, are you sure you're okay? You might have fooled Rogers but I can tell something's amiss. You don't think it's a coincidence at my being here?" Stephen questioned, a note of concern lacing in his voice.

"No, I don't I meant what I said. Be careful. I fear something more is at play here,"

He nodded, flying off to cause the first distraction and I took my place nearby on a hill, concentrating on pushing the demon out of Lane. Yells from being pushed back resounded from my teammates, flames erupting where they had been previously standing.

"Everyone okay?" I asked, worried for their safety.

"We're fine. Keep pushing. Hey Soph, you've got incoming. I'm sending back up," Cap informed me.

"Not too close," I warned, my focus on the man levitating over to me.

"Another fire-starter. How keen. Tell me, do you think they care about you at all or are they using you as their very own puppet?" Lane stated his voice distorted from the other being inside his body.

"I'm no one's puppet. You're the one using an innocent as a play toy for destruction. All I'm doing is stopping you from fulfilling your purpose," I responded; sweat beginning to form on my brow. Still trying to expel the intruder from him, heat swarmed around my body, tiny flames spread out in a controlled circle.

"Foolish girl. Do you really think we possessed this man forcefully? He wanted us. Destruction isn't the only thing we're after. The Sorcerer Supreme would be a _delightful_ host to inhabit," the voices continued. _We? There's more than one?_ I thought, eyeing Bucky and Sam lingering behind Lane.

"You're the ones who caused the inter-dimensional travel? A delusion to lure him here?" I asked, mild panic at the thought that Stephen could be in danger. I flared my power stronger and harder, the man narrowing his eyes at my push on him. The next instant he turned and launched an attack on Bucky. He was too close, a fire sword materializing arcing down in a way to slice him in half. The demon would have succeeded if I hadn't moved in front, catching it with my arm, a searing pain slicing down it. The awkward angle it came down didn't cut through bone but the burn caused me to grunt in pain, the healing coursing its way to the surface.

Fire against fire worked slower, however, the wound sealing in minutes rather than seconds. I formed a ball of flames throwing it at my target, forcing Lane back a few paces. He smirked, spawning more demons and flying off to find his intended victim, my Stephen, my Strange.

"I told you not to get too close," I lectured Bucky and Sam, blasting one spawn with a column of fire, destroying it in a second.

"Sorry. We've got these. Go find Strange," Bucky commented, landing a punch on the corporeal figure. I nodded, flying down to the streets.

"Cap, do you have a location on Strange?" I asked in the communication devices we shared. He grunted, my guess he happened to fighting off other spawns.

"No. I think he's farther down the street. Why?" he responded, breathing hard.

"The main demon wants him as a host. If you locate him, let me know. I'm coming down there to help,"

_Please, let me find him before it's too late,_ I thought as I flew to the streets desperate to stop the demon from possessing him.

"Sophie, he's here with…ugh!" Wanda's voice called out over the communication device. From the sound she made, it had me in distress, the thought that I was too late to save him crossing my mind. _No, no, no. Don't let me be too late,_ I thought, my breath constricting in my chest.

"They're by the pier!" Natasha shouted as I flew by her. I made my descent, finding both Stephen and Wanda using their magic to fight off more spawns.

"Stephen, you need to get out of here! You're the real target, lured here by false inter-dimensional travel," I informed him, lighting up an enemy from the side.

"That was your concern earlier. You said something more was at play," he stated, sending his opponent through a portal that led elsewhere.

"It just confirmed my fear. They want to inhabit you. Please, you need…" I began, cut off by an explosion from behind. I landed on the burned arm, hissing in pain, pushing myself up, cradling it in my right hand.

"Sorcerer Supreme! You're ours!" Lane – the demons – shouted, creating bonds around Stephen's hands and feet, preventing him from moving. I threw up a barrier, blocking them from getting access to him. The voices only laughed, destroying it with one blast. They were about to surround Stephen with a column of possession fire but I refused to lose him.

"Stephen!" I screamed, launching my body in front of him, taking the full force of the flaming wall against my back. I screamed the sound reverberating throughout downtown as a blinding pain shot through me, the flames enveloping me as I broke Stephen's bindings and pushed him back with a wave of heat.

Concentrating while fully engulfed, the fire not able to destroy me because of my own power and healing, the absorption I had always been grateful for; I outstretched my arms and pushed hard, the flames snuffing out. Refusing to pass out from the excruciating pain, I turned and slammed my hands down to the pavement, the full potential of my power at work, sending a vibrating fire wave towards Lane; the voices screamed as they died out, vanishing completely, the man falling to his knees. I swayed on my feet, the pain taking effect on my body but still I fought against fainting.

"NO! You bitch! You took away my power. I could have had the Sorcerer Supreme. Now you'll pay for taking them away from me!" Lane yelled, rushing me. He didn't get far, Wanda pulling him to her with her telekinesis landing a punch to his jaw. Natasha came running up and with a low swipe of her leg, knocked him to his back. She dragged him up, slamming him into a car, cuffing his hands. I dropped to my knees, my vision getting blurry, hearing a muffled voice call out my name.

"Sophie! Oh my god! It's your back. Sophie! Sophie, can you hear me? Oh god, someone help me. She's going to pass out. Sophie," Stephen's voice stated, panic in his tone at my current state.

"Nat, get her on the jet! Now! We need to get her back to the compound. Get some medics there," Cap's voice stated next. I fell backwards, warm hands enveloping my torso, Stephen's eyes filled with tears and panic.

"I…love…you…Stephen," I managed to say, my hand coming up to caress his cheek, my will to stay conscious flickering out. My world went black.

Stephen's POV

"Sophie! Please wake up! I need you. Don't leave me," I called out, tears rolling down my cheeks as I held Sophie's limp body in my arms. Reaching down with shaky hands I checked her pulse. Receiving one, I knew she was still alive despite her shallow breathing. Steve tried to remove her from me but I wouldn't let him, afraid that any movement would cause my worst fear to happen.

"Strange, give her to me. We have to get her to the compound. She's hurt really bad. She's not dead. You know that, but if we don't get her to our medics, she could die. You can come with us. Please, let me take her," he told me. I took a deep breath trying to regain my composure and released my hold on her. He picked her up, running to the jet. I followed, flying back with them, not wanting to leave her side.

Ten minutes later, we landed, Steve rushing off with Sophie to the medical bay and laying her on her stomach so the medics could assess the damage she took.

"She's healing but very slowly. It's a good thing she's adaptable to any sort of fire but this is extensive. We'll need to help her through the process. Strange, she'll be all right. Go sit outside," the head medic told me.

"No, I want to stay. I won't be in the way but I need to stay with her. She shouldn't be alone," I argued, the medic sighing with defeat.

"Fine. You can hold her hand, but don't do anything else," he commented, getting back to work. They cut off the singed costume she had on, the burned flesh reaching down to her lower back. Some of it had cleared up, leaving minor scars in various places, but the rest had turned from a blackened area to a more reddish tint. I watched as they took a few soaked rags to wash off any dirt or debris left in the skin and cleaned out the area with alcohol, followed by pulling off the burned skin with medical tweezers. This process took a few hours with them wrapping her body in medicated gauze.

"We need to move her to a bed. You're welcome to stay with her tonight, but you should know given how extensive these burns are, she might be out for a few days," the main medic told me. I nodded releasing Sophie's hand so they could lay her down on a hospital bed. I pulled up a chair, ordered my cloak to detach from my shoulders, taking her hand in mine again. Leaning forward, I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, more tears escaping down my face.

"Please come back to me sweetheart. I love you. I need you baby. Please…come back," I whispered, before leaning back in my chair, waiting for her to wake up. I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew, I felt a tap on my shoulder and immediately went defensive only to come face-to-face with Natasha.

"Relax, it's only me. Let me sit with her a while. Go get something to eat. I'll let you know if she wakes up," She told me, pulling up another seat.

"No. I should be…"

"Go, Stephen. I don't think she's going to wake up any time soon. You need to eat something," Natasha said, cutting me off. Sighing, I left the room to fix a sandwich in the kitchen.

"How's Sophie doing? Any progress?" Steve asked me, a bottle of water in his hands, a worried expression on his face. I shook my head, swallowing a bite of the ham and cheese sandwich I made.

"I shouldn't have been there. She's hurt because of me, because I was lured there. She had a bad feeling and I…"

"Don't do that. Don't blame yourself. No one knew what that demon had planned. Sophie might have had her suspicions but nothing was confirmed until we got there. She's going to okay," he told me, crossing his arms over his chest. I ran my hand through my hair and shoved the sandwich away from me, my appetite gone replaced with worry.

"I hope so. I don't know what I'd do if I lost her. Sophie's an important part of life now and I couldn't bear it if…"

"You love her. Deeply it seems. Tell me something. Do you see a future with her?" he stated. Sophie and I had already confessed our love to each other and the more time I spent with her I could feel myself falling deeper in love with her.

"Yes, I do. That much is true but I'm not going to rush into anything major with her right now. Some day I'd like her to move in with me if that's something that everyone would be okay with," I answered honestly.

"Good. We'd be okay with her leaving us if that's what she wants. My guess is that she wouldn't oppose to it but only when you're both ready to fully commit to it," he commented. I nodded, getting up to return to Sophie, Natasha and I watching over her for the next two days, taking turns relieving each other until the day she woke up.

Sophie's POV

"Stephen, wake up. I think she's coming out of it," I heard a familiar voice say. Groaning, I cracked open my eyes a little, noticing two people sitting near me: I registered them both as Natasha and Stephen. He bolted up when saw that I was awake, running his hand through my hair and kissing me.

"Welcome back. How are you feeling?" he asked, sitting back and holding my hand.

"Like I've been in an inferno. How long have I been out?" I croaked out.

"Two days. You took a really bad hit. I was afraid…" he replied, his eyes welling up with tears. I squeezed his hand, smiling.

"Hey, it's all right. I'm right here, Stephen. I'm not going anywhere. I love you too much,"

He returned my smile, kissing me again, the tears slipping down his cheeks.

"I'd hate to interrupt but your doctor is here to check your burns," Nat informed us. We broke the kiss, Stephen holding my hand for comfort as the doctor unwound the gauze from my body.

"This looks much better. I understand you pull on your ability with fire to heal but coupled with the medicated gauze the burns are almost gone. You'll have a few scars but nothing too bad. I'd advise you to stay in bed a couple more days just to make sure no complications arise," he told me. I nodded and asked for a cup of water to quench my thirst. More strips of gauze were wrapped around me before they left me alone with Nat and Stephen.

"I'll let the others know you're awake. They'll be happy to see you," Natasha stated, leaving the room. I noticed Stephen had gone silent, prompting me to give another squeeze of his hand.

"What's wrong? You're not usually this quiet,"

"The demon, it lured me to the battle. I should've never taken the call. If I hadn't you-,"

"Stephen, sweetheart. We didn't know if wanted you until it approached me while I was working on pushing it from Lane. I know I told you I had a horrible feeling but even I couldn't be sure until everything was confirmed. It's not your fault. It's no one's fault. I'd protect you again if I had the option, no question about it,"

"But…"

"No buts. I love you. That's what really matters. Don't fret about it," I told him. He nodded and kissed my cheek, getting up when Steve, Sam, and Bucky walked in the room. We talked for a while ending the day with Stephen staying the night in my room for another three days until the doctor released me into the wild where I could move around again. The next time I'd see Stephen, I would encounter his stubborn side, leading me to care for him in return.


	8. Stubborn in Sickness

Stephen's POV

"You're not going on this mission. You don't look so good," Master Wong told me, descending the stairs of the Sanctum.

"I feel fine. You can't do this alone," I argued, my voice a bit stuffy. I hadn't felt that great since waking up in the middle of the night and throwing up the contents in my stomach.

"Then I'll ask Tony or Rogers to help. Maybe even Wanda or Loki if you really think more magic is needed. You need to stay here," he commented. I rolled my eyes at the suggestion of Loki, still intending to go on this mission.

"Wong, I'm fine. I haven't even thrown…excuse me," I shot back, running to the bathroom, the breakfast I tried eating coming back up. I cleaned up my mouth, joining Wong in the foyer once more.

"See? You're not fine Stephen. Your face is flushed; you're constantly throwing up. Even your voice is stuffy. You won't be able to function and you know it," he argued once more.

"I'm going. It'll be okay,"

"No, you're not. You need rest,"

"The world needs me more," I snapped.

"The _world_ can go a few days without you. If you go on this mission with the state you're in now and collapse, there's a chance that you might not survive. I'm not sure the world could survive if you're not in it. I'm not sure Sophie could live without you if you die,"

"Wong, I can handle it. It won't…" I stated, flinching when he mentioned Sophie, the idea that she could lose me, weighing on my mind. I knew he was right; if I did collapse, there was the potential that I might not make it back and Sophie would be devastated. Still, I refused to sit this one out.

"No. If you're going to be this stubborn, I'm afraid I'm going to have to call Sophie," Wong said, crossing his arms.

"No, you don't need to bother her. She's still recovering from her own battle," I stated, worried for her safety if he wanted her to join him on this mission.

"That's not why I'm calling her. Maybe she can convince you not to go if you won't even listen to your own body. Stay put," he commented. He formed a portal, disappearing from the Sanctum, leaving me to once again run to the bathroom to vomit, this sickness not going away any time soon.

Sophie's POV

Sitting in the kitchen with Tony, Natasha, Sam and Bucky, we were chatting about plans to get everyone together and going on vacation. Natasha and Steve's relationship had shot off and they had been happier ever since my fourth date with Stephen.

"What are we thinking then? The beach? Somewhere south?" Tony asked.

"What about the Outer Banks? It's quiet there and if we're looking to do absolutely nothing but relaxing then it'd be perfect," I suggested.

"That's not a bad idea. It might be nice to do nothing for a week. We'd have to rent a huge house to fit all of us," Natasha stated.

"They have houses with private pools so we wouldn't have to share with a community of people. In addition, we would have our own private walkway to the beach if we wanted to go out there too," I told them. Everyone seemed in agreement and the only thing I had left to do was invite Stephen to join us. All of a sudden Tony shrieked and fell off his chair.

"Oh my god! Are you all right? What happened?" I yelled, getting off my stool to help him up.

"Sophie. I need your help. Tony, will you be available for a mission? Wanda and Loki as well?" a voice spoke. I turned to face Master Wong in a spiraling orange circle – a portal – leading to the Sanctum.

"I keep forgetting you guys can do that. Where's Strange? Shouldn't he be more qualified to help with your mission?" Tony asked while rubbing his head in the spot he fell on.

"Stephen is sick. He's been throwing up since midnight and now I think he's running a fever. He doesn't intend to sit this one out and I don't think it's a good idea that he should be coming on this mission,"

"Not to mention, his eyes are bloodshot and his nose is stuffed up. I fear he might not be able to function while on this mission," Wong informed us.

"Fine. I'll get Wanda and Loki. We'll meet you at the Sanctum. Sophie, you're still recovering so…"

"With all due respect, I'm only asking her to come with me to the Sanctum to stop Stephen from coming with us. He won't listen to his own body, but maybe he'll listen to you. You're the only one that can change his mind with certain subjects. Pack a bag. You may need to stay for a couple of days," Wong interrupted Tony. I nodded and went up to my room to throw some things in a duffel bag. I came back down and followed Wong into the portal to the Sanctum.

"Where is he?" I asked, surprised to see my boyfriend stumble out of the bathroom. He was extremely pale; save for the heavy redness on his cheeks, sweat dripping from his forehead. Yeah, he was definitely sick and it looked like it was only going to get worse from there.

"Stephen? You don't look so good," I greeted him, setting my bag on the floor.

"Hey Sophie. I'm fine. Don't worry about me," he stated. I placed the back of my hand against his forehead; he definitely had a fever given the scalding temperature of his skin.

"Cleary, you're not. You're burning up. Let's get you to bed," I told him but he shoved past me still determined to go on the dangerous mission.

"I'm…perfectly fine. I…" he argued, falling backwards to the floor, unconscious. He would've hit it if I hadn't caught him in my arms.

"Stephen! Wong can you help me get him upstairs to his room?" I commented, stroking Stephen's sweat drenched hair from his face. Wong helped me lift him up and we walked up the stairs to his room. He helped me lay him down, the cloak detaching and lingering near watching as I removed his boots.

"Thank you, Sophie. Take care of him," Wong told me, leaving the room to meet Tony, Wanda, and Loki outside for their mission.

"Oh, sweetheart. I wish you didn't push yourself so hard," I whispered, pulling off Stephen's tunic and pants, trying to cool off his burning skin. Kissing his cheek, I went to the bathroom to grab a cloth to place against his forehead. I wet it with cool water, wringing it out so it didn't drip too much and returned to Stephen's side. I draped the cool cloth over his forehead, caressing his cheek before climbing in bed beside him with a book, watching over him as he slept.

Stephen's POV

I woke up to find Sophie beside me reading a book, reaching out to grab her hand.

"Sophie…" I croaked out, my voice hoarse from thirst.

"Hi, my love. How are you feeling?" she asked, removing a wet cloth, now semi-dry and placing it to the side. The answer to that question came when I bolted from her to the bathroom to throw up again. My hands gripped the sides of the toilet, heaving as more bile launched its way out of my throat. I felt warm hands on my back, rubbing it in a soothing motion. Spitting the remaining contents out, I shifted back into Sophie's arms as she handed me some toilet paper. I wiped my mouth, disposing of it in the waste bin, letting her hold me.

"You shouldn't have to see me in this state," I told her, clutching her hand to my chest.

"Why? Do you think you'll scare me away with you sickness?" She questioned, leaning over to kiss my brow.

"Yes, exactly. Help me up. I need to lie down again," I responded. She grasped my hand and torso, pulling me up as we made our way to the bed. As soon as my body hit the comforter, the chills set in.

"Okay, Stephen, we're going to get you under the covers and I'm going to get you a glass of water real quick," She stated, lifting up the sheets for me to climb in.

"Come back quick please,"

She nodded and left the room for a few minutes, reappearing with a glass of water.

"Can you sit up and drink some of this for me?" She asked, sitting on the edge of the bed next to me. I slid up and took the glass from her taking a few sips and setting it down on the table next to the bed, burying under the sheets. They were a little thin, meant for summer and keeping cool; they did not provide much warmth to keep the shivering at bay.

"All right. I'm getting under there with you," Sophie stated, slipping under the sheets pulling my body to hers, warmth spreading all around me. Because she was a firestarter, she had an ongoing flame in her body, always warm, always kind, unless something angered her or put her at ill ease. She ran her hands through my hair, soothing me, the comfort a craving I wanted. Despite the warmth from her body, I still shivered and I felt her shift off me.

"Hey, w-what are y-you doing?" I asked, the chills making my teeth chatter. I looked over to see her taking her clothes off.

"I d-don't think that's appropriate g-given…"

"Relax, I'm just going to give you skin to skin contact with my body. I think my clothes are getting in the way of warming you up, so I'm going with a different option," She stated. She climbed in, her heated skin doing what it meant to do this time. My body instantly relaxed into her, the soothing motion of her hands sending me back to sleep.

Sophie's POV  
I watched as Stephen drifted off, chills momentarily subsiding with the heat I put off. I waited until he was sound asleep before peeling myself from him and dressing to retreat downstairs to the kitchen. I wanted to make him some soup – chicken noodle – doing my best to take care of him. Turning on the stove, I put a pot on it and heated up the soup, preparing a plate of saltines for him to nibble on. Pouring the soup into a bowl, I quickly found a tray to put it on and carried it upstairs, seeing that Stephen was awake.

"I woke up and…what do you have there?"

"Soup, chicken noodle to be exact. I figured you might be hungry. You don't have to eat all of it but the broth might help your stomach. Also, I've brought some saltines to nibble on if you feel like it," I told him, setting the tray in front of him. He blinked at me several times.

"What?"

"I didn't expect you to take care of me like this. It's kind of…refreshing," he told me.

"Didn't any of your past girlfriends see you when you were sick? I know you were a surgeon but I'm sure you needed someone else to provide the comfort you deserved when you were at home sick," I stated, surprised at his confession.

"No. In fact I don't think they were _this_ affectionate. Maybe Christine but we didn't last long enough for her to see me this sick. You seem to go out of your way to take care of me,"

"Is that so surprising? I do love you, you know. Besides, I don't mind. It's not like I'm planning on going anywhere," I told him, sitting in front of him.

"I know. I love you too. And I don't want you to leave at all. I think I'd miss you if you did or be heartbroken,"

Stephen finished the soup, not touching the saltines afraid that solid food might not stay down just yet.

"Do you want to put on a movie? We could cuddle for a while. I have to admit I like your warmth," he told me.

"Sure," I replied, turning on the TV and the DVD player, selecting an action movie; our favorite genre might not go over too well. I climbed in beside him, his arm draping over my shoulders.

"Thank you Sophie. For taking care of me," he whispered, kissing the top of my head.

"No problem. I love you," I whispered back, nuzzling my head against his chest. Halfway through the movie, he fell asleep again, the sickness still invading his body and I continued to hold him, flaring some warmth to stop chills from racking his body. When the movie ended, I switched to Netflix to watch something sweet while he rested. After a few hours he woke, hunger on his mind.

"Can we move downstairs? I'm tired of being in bed," he told me. I handed him a pair of pajama shorts and pulled out a clean blanket from the closet, moving to the couches in the hidden lounge of the Sanctum. I made more soup and brought it to him, after fixing some for myself as well.

"You're staying for a few days right? I'm not ready for you to leave right now," he said, his blue eyes meeting mine. They were shining a little brighter, the sickness nearly over.

"Yeah, I thought it might be nice to stay over for a little while. We're always at the compound, so some time here would be perfect,"

"Good. I'd like that,"

An hour went by and Wong returned with Tony, Loki and Wanda at the Sanctum.

"The mission went well. You're looking better. I told you for the world could do without you for a few days, even if it was just for a few hours anyways," Wong greeted us.

"Yeah, nothing _we_ couldn't handle," Loki stated, a cocky grin twisting his lips.

"Guess it must have required some of your_ mediocre _magic. I mean, Wong's strong but I'm assuming the enemy wasn't _that_ hard to defeat," Stephen commented. Loki's eyes narrowed at the comment and he stepped forward, tension in the air between the two sorcerers.

"Mediocre magic? I'll show you mediocre magic, you second rate…"

"Okay, easy Loki. Stephen, apologize. If it were that easy Loki might have not needed to come. Be glad that he did," I interjected, blocking Loki's path to Stephen. He mumbled an apology and I sighed; the conflict avoided.

"Sophie, you're staying right?" Wong asked, hope in his expression. You could say that he and I had become fast friends and enjoyed each other's company playing board games from time to time.

"Yes and for the next three days as well," I replied, earning a smile from him.

"Call me if you need me okay, Tony," I stated. He gave me thumbs up and walked out into the night followed by Wanda and Loki. We spent the rest of the night competing at Scrabble before retiring just before one in the morning, unaware of the trouble that would approach the day before I left for the compound.


	9. Paralysis and Moving In

"Do you really need to leave tomorrow? I'd rather you stay here with me," Stephen complained. We were sitting on a couch in the living room, his arms around me; we often snuggled like this, my legs draped over his lap and with him holding me super close to his body.

"Yes, I do. I have my other belongings there and there's training that needs to be done. I know, I want to stay with you too, but we both have our responsibilities. That still doesn't change the fact that I've gotten comfortable here and it's only been two days," I told him. I looked up at him to capture his lips in a kiss.

"Well, what if you were to move in with me? There's plenty of room and we could always go over to the compound for training if need be," he asked me.

"Move in with you? I didn't think we were to that point yet. Are you sure it's what you want?" I asked him, surprised at his suggestion.

"I…"

"Aww. Look at the cute couple. I'd love to see what they taste like," a male voice echoed throughout the room.

"What is that?" Stephen asked, trying to pinpoint where it came from.

"More importantly, _who_ is that? Also, where is it?"

I dropped my legs to the floor, ready to strike if it came to that.

"A sorcerer supreme who isn't ugly. I wonder how he feels inside someone," another voice, this time female, stated.

"I have a feeling what or whomever we're dealing with is invisible," Stephen commented, getting off the couch and commanding the cloak of levitation to attach to his shoulders, his tunic appearing through magic. I flared my fire, the flames engulfing my fists and pressed my back against Stephen's.

"Any way you can light them up?"

"I don't know. It'd be risky. I might accidentally set the room ablaze if I miscalculated. You don't know a spell to reveal them do you?"

"A few, but I wouldn't know which one would work best. We don't know if they're human, demon or something else entirely," Stephen responded.

"Okay, so it's either burning down the room or a failed spell. Isn't that lovely? I think we're at an impasse here," I noted, trying not to let my fear show.

"Mm. I can smell their fear. It smells so good, like candy. Gummy, juicy candy," the male voice commented. So much for not showing it, apparently it's oozing from our pores.

"If we could somehow lure…" Stephen began saying, cut off by a whistling sound and something piercing his skin with a thwack sound.

"What…" he questioned, pulling a miniature dart from his neck. He fell to his knees and sprawled out on the floor unconscious.

"Stephen! Hey, wake up! Stephen. Damn it, you've been tranquilized," I shouted, kneeling down to try and rouse him from his current state.

'Time for you to sleep as well, my dear," the female informed me. I turned in the direction I thought the voice came from only to be met with the same dart.

"Damn," I managed to say before collapsing beside Stephen. I saw a pair of shoes and hooved claws, the world turning black shortly after.

I gasped aloud when I woke, unable to move. I diverted my gaze downward to see my hands and feet shackled to the floor. Looking around, I found I was alone in a dimly lit room, Stephen nowhere to be found. I pulled against the restraints to see if they'd give any but unfortunately they were extremely tight around my ankles and wrists.

As I tried to figure out a way to escape my bonds, a loud groan echoed in my ears from a room next to mine.

"It's no use to scream. My venom paralyzes you. You'll be a delicious treat sorcerer," the same male voice from before stated, the sound permeating the walls of my room. _Oh no, Stephen. What are they going to do to you?_ I thought. Silence followed and then another groan echoed again. Once more I pulled against my bonds coming to the conclusion fire was the only option to free myself. Though painful, it became a way to get to him, to stop what was happening to him.

Stephen's POV

When I opened my eyes and tried to sit up, I realized I couldn't move. Pain burned in my abdomen but I couldn't move my head to see the damage.

"Hello, sorcerer. Arlen is going to have a juicy treat. Your skin will taste divine in Arlen's belly," a male voice stated. The voice that spoke happened to be the same one from the Sanctum this morning.

A figure appeared over me; a demon with a putrid yellow color for skin, hooved claws for feet and hooked claws for fingers. It straddled me; fluttering its claws before cutting into my body, pain shooting through every nerve of my skin. I groaned, clenching my teeth as best as I could.

"Arlen knows how to paint a picture in blood, how to flay skin slowly so the treat lasts longer," it said. _Great, it's talking in third person_, I thought to myself. I groaned again uttering 'stop' in a muffled voice.

"It's no use to scream. My venom paralyzes you. You'll be a delicious treat, sorcerer," it said. It hooked a claw under the layer of skin it carved out, leaning down to bite it off my stomach. I groaned again, the pain excruciating.

"How nice. You've left him naked for me. I've always wondered how a sorcerer supreme feels. He's got an impressive size for one. I think I'd like to play with him a little," a female voice comments. She appears before me, human unlike her companion and wearing an olive green tank top and jeans. She's also barefoot, the slap of her feet alerting me to her approach.

"Arlen asks for you to wait just a minute. Arlen wants another piece before he slides to the side," the demon responds, peeling off another layer. I hiss in pain, knowing there wasn't anything I can do. Arlen slid off me and sits on my left, continuing his grotesque work, while the female sits on my right.

"My name is Allura, not that it matters. I'm going to enjoy you and your girlfriend won't be able to stop me," she says as she reaches down to grip my cock.

"No, please. Don't…do this," I mutter through gritted teeth before she starts stroking me.

"Ooh, you're responsive. Tell me, does she satisfy you enough?" Allura taunts, still moving her hand to get me erect. I groan from pain and slight arousal, cursing myself for responding to her touch. Sophie is the only one I love and now I'm afraid she won't be able to come back from this. The paralysis keeps me from moving, from stopping her actions, my body responds to sensations I wished it didn't. Tears spring to my eyes as a new scream reverberates the walls of my room.

Sophie's POV

Turning my wrists so my hands face the metal, I start heating up the bonds to melt them away. I start slow, the burning not too intense to where I won't be able to rip it from my skin. I turn up the intensity, wincing from the pain on my skin, tears springing up. As the metal begins to turn to liquid, I turn up my heat and fire to full blast screaming as it melts the metal into my skin. I pull up breaking free of the bonds that took longer than I would've liked. Sitting up, I rip the melted metal from my wrists, the smell of burning flesh still present in the air. I grunted in pain inspecting the damage. It won't last long, the healing already activated; there will be scars from it but I didn't have any other choice.

Instead of burning through the bonds at my feet, I melt the bolts connecting them and flip over the metal itself. Finding the exit, I blast through it and burn through the rooms on either side of me, the groaning coming from my left. I burst through the room finding Stephen naked on the ground, a demon flaying the skin from his stomach and a woman stroking his cock, an erection beginning to form. I don't fault him for this; he's paralyzed from the venom coursing through his body, unable to push off anyone. The woman turns her attention to me, flashing a malevolent smile and I lose it.

"Get off my boyfriend!" I shout, aiming a well- crafted fireball at her, sending her body flying into a wall. I push a wave of heat at the yellow skinned demon, careening him in the same wall. Leaping into action, I cover Stephen with my body surrounding us in a dome of fire, no one able to penetrate its thickness.

"Oh, god. What have they done to you?" I stated, assessing the wounds to his abdomen. He moans as I lightly brush over the cuts, making me look at him with concern. His eyes are red, his face streaked from tears he shed.

"I'm…sorry. Don't…leave me," he mutters through his lips, not able to move his mouth.

"Sh, it's all right. Everything's fine. I'm not leaving you but I-," I tell him, leaning over him when a loud explosion hits the room. I look behind me to see Wong, Steve, and Tony standing through a blasted wall. I glance over to the wall where the demon and the woman were flown into; they were gone or possibly went back to being invisible.

"Uh…Soph. Your boyfriend is naked. That's not appropriate for battle," Tony states.

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious. I didn't strip him. The people who captured us did. He's paralyzed. I think it's temporary but I'm positive you have to kill the demon," I comment, annoyance in my tone.

"Behead…it," Stephen muttered and I relayed the message to my three colleagues.

"Be careful. They can become invisible. If the demon scratches you, you'll be paralyzed. I'll try my best to light them up for you. I have to protect Stephen right now," I told them, turning my attention back to Stephen. I brought his hand to my thigh, rubbing soothing circles into the back of it.

"You can't find us. More treaties for me, more playthings for her," the male voice told us.

"What is this thing's name?" Steve asked; a circle formed with the three heroes.

"Arlen…the demon. Allura…the girl," Stephen mumbled.

"Sophie, how can we fight something we can't see?" Tony asked.

"Stop talking. Let me concentrate,"

I honed in on my senses, breaking down the dome and building heat in the ground. I closed my eyes, pressing a hand into the concrete floor, feeling for differences throughout. A pulse beat against my hand; human in nature and another quicker pulse pounded my fingertips; demon in nature. Pushing past them, I pinpointed their location.

"I've got you," I stated, flaring up a row of flames in their direction; they had snuck up in front of Wong, screaming when my flames licked their heels. Wong formed a portal over the demon's head, closing it and beheading Arlen. Allura charged Tony, who blasted her through the stomach; she dropped dead, eyes glazing over. Stephen sighed under me, moving his hands to grip my arms.

"Sophie, I'm sorry. I couldn't move. She touched me and my body responded. I didn't want her to. I'm so sorry," he apologized, more tears escaping down his cheeks.

"Somebody find his clothes. Now," I ordered, before turning my attention to him.

"You're okay. Relax. I heard everything. There's nothing you could have done. It's okay. You're safe now," I told him, leaning down to kiss him.

"Here, Sophie. I found them in the other room. They took his sling ring and hid it in a lockbox on the floor. Sophie, look at his stomach. He's really hurt," Wong told me, handing me Stephen's clothing.

"I know. My healing won't work on him. It could make it worse. Stephen, can you stand up?" I stated, getting off of him. He nodded, wincing as he did so. I handed him the tunic and underwear, patient as he slid them on, the cloak resting on his shoulders. I handed him his sling ring and allowed Wong to transport all of us back to the Sanctum. I helped Stephen to his room, coming back down when he removed the tunic and changed into sweatpants; he insisted on cleaning and bandaging the wounds, so I got to say goodbye to Steve and Tony.

"How did you get free?" they asked me. I showed them the scars on my wrists, still bright red from where they were still healing.

"I didn't have another option," I told them, as Steve trailed a finger over the crescent shape.

"Sophie, can I talk to you? Alone?" Stephen's voice asked causing me to turn towards the stairs.

"Sure," turning back to Steve and Tony, I gave them both hugs. "Thanks again, guys. I'll come back in two days," I told them, following Stephen to his room.

Stephen closed the door and locked it before bringing me to sit down on the bed.

"What's wrong? It it's about what happened with…" I asked, cut off by his lips against mine, warm and soft, the passion behind them overpowering my senses. I latched my fingers into his hair, tugging on it, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. His teeth nipped my bottom lip, slipping his tongue inside when I gasped. His strong arms pulled me into his lap as he leaned back against the pillows, his hands slipping underneath my shirt; he found his way to my bra, squeezing my breasts over the fabric. He moved the straps down, my breasts spilling over the pushed down fabric. He twisted my nipples and I moaned, his touch irresistible.

"Wait, wait, wait. Didn't you say you wanted to talk?" I asked, pulling back before we got carried away. My eyes met his; his pupils were dilated from our actions, breathing hard from exertion.

"Right, I did," he answered me, his hands still on my breasts, kneading them.

"Stephen? What…did you want…to talk about?" I asked between moans.

"I never answered your question from this morning. You asked me if I wanted you to move in with me. The answer is yes. I'd love that very much," he told me. He grew frustrated with my shirt and pulled it off of me, my breasts exposed for him. He unclasped my bra, giving him more access to my flesh.

"That's all? Great, I'll start packing when I go back to the compound," I told him. I passed a hand gently over his stomach. He winced and I removed his hands from my chest.

"Slide down. Let me take care of you,"

He did as he was told and I pulled down his pants and boxer briefs, freeing him. I ran my finger along his shaft, stopping when he flinched.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to stop? I don't want to push you especially after…" I questioned, wondering if Allura traumatized him too much.

"Don't stop. I'm fine. I want you to touch me. Please, Sophie. Touch me all you want," he replied.

"All right. How about I come at this in a different way?"

I licked the tip, his cock twitching at the contact. Smiling, I took him in my mouth and swirled my tongue over him, hollowing my cheeks to take him further in. He moaned; his hips thrust up as I bobbed up and down, bringing him slow to his orgasm. I wrapped a hand around his shaft, the other cupping his balls to fondle him, stroking him to the point where he erupted in my mouth. I swallowed, removing my lips from him. I got off the bed to take off my shorts and panties before climbing on top, straddling him. Stephen handed me a condom to slip on and once I finished, I sheathed his cock into my body, my walls adapting to his length.

Leaning down I kissed him, slipping my tongue in and out like I was fucking him, before I started riding him. His hands flew to my back holding me close despite the pain on his stomach. I went slow, pulling his hands from my back and trapping them above his head, our fingers linked. He flipped me over, his biceps bulging as he held my hands to the pillows. He kissed me, moving his lips to my neck and down to my chest. We climaxed at the same time; sweat pouring from our limbs, breathing hard. I brushed the bandages again, a hiss passing through his lips.

"I'm healing. Trying to grow new skin. I'm just exhausted," he told me.

"Exhausted huh? Are you sure? I'd say you had enough to do this with me?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. He chuckled, kissing me.

"I'm never too tired to make love to you," he commented, bringing a smile to my lips.

"Just to meditate? Do you want me to help? I've got enough strength that I'm willing to give away,"

"That would be nice," he said, pulling out, so we could get dressed. I left my shorts off, so I could sit comfortably in front of him. I joined hands with him, my wrists up; he passed his thumbs over the angry scars, catching my gaze.

"I had to melt the bonds to get free. I didn't have a choice. I only melted the bolts at my feet because my hands were free. I ripped the metal from my skin where it melted into it. Stephen, I needed to get to you," I told him.

"I love you Sophie. Thank you for saving me for the second time," he responded.

"I love you too,"

The rest of the afternoon was spent in silence, Stephen and I meditating to help him heal. Our breathing synced, the power flaring around us. The moment was a sweet one, our relationship shifting into the next step; moving in with the love of my life.


	10. The Move In and The First Meeting

Two days after our capture, I returned to the compound to pack my things. I planned on moving in with Stephen; a new step in our relationship. Everyone appeared to be fine with the change; all except Tony, who tried to get me to stay at the compound.

"Tell him to move in here with you. I'll miss you too much. Who will I go to for party ideas or for food? You're one of the best cooks in the compound. Who will stop Loki from pranking me? Sophie don't go. Please," he begged, following me around the building as I moved boxes to the front entrance. I giggled at him, turning to place my palms on his shoulders.

"One, he can't move in here. He has to be the protector of the Sanctum. Two, I'm sure there's someone else who's better with cooking and you have your own vault of ideas for parties. If you seek advice, I'm a phone call away,"

"But-,"

"Three, I will talk to Loki before I leave and convince him not to prank you. Don't worry Tony. I'll come back and visit some. How could I leave you behind? Plus, Natasha still lives here. I have to see my best friend too," I told him.

"You better because who else will I talk to about relationship advice?" Nat asked, walking in the lounge. She came over to me, wrapping her arms around me.

"I don't know Nat. You've got a handle on things with Steve. You may not need me anymore,"

"I'll always need you. You're my best friend. Stephen's a lucky man. He's got you after all,"

"I plan on keeping her. I can't imagine my life without Sophie," Stephen's voice said from behind me. I turned and placed a kiss on his lips, standing beside him with an arm wrapped around his middle once I pulled back. I almost burst out laughing at Tony's face; anger contorted his features making his skin red, a vein popping out on his forehead, a frown deep enough to produce more wrinkles.

"You! You're taking my Sophie away from us. Give her back," he growled. This time I did laugh at his outburst, reaching out with my free hand to pat his shoulder.

"Calm down. It's not like I'm moving that far away. We're still in New York. Does it matter that I love him? You'd do the same if Pepper asked you to move in with her. Let me begin my future with Stephen. Please?" I stated. Tony's features softened, releasing a sigh of defeat.

"You're right. Go on Sophie. Live with the wizard if he makes you happy," he said.

"Thank you," Stephen and I grabbed some boxes, leaving a portal open to remove all of them from the compound. Sticking to my promise to Tony about talking to Loki, I confronted the God and convinced him of not playing pranks unless he wanted to face my wrath, which was never good in some situations.

With the final box removed from the compound, we closed the portal and I placed my hands on my hips, staring at the stacks of boxes. I didn't have much, but enough where I didn't know where to start.

"Where to begin? Hmm…Maybe with-,"

"Sophie, you can have one of the spare rooms to store your belongings. Books can be added to the library downstairs. That's the one where we keep our normal books separate from the magic volumes," Stephen told me, grabbing a box and walking up the steps.

"Spare room? You don't want me staying with you?" I asked, grabbing another one and catching up to him. He chuckled, turning his sparkling blue eyes on me.

"You'll be sleeping in my room. Your clothes and other belongings will stay in the spare room next to mine. I'm not sure there's enough room to fit both of our clothes. There's enough room to fit you in my bed by my side. Think of all the possibilities," he told me. The look he gave me at the statement sent tingles and heat throughout my body. I knew what he's been implying, and a lot of scenarios came to my mind.

"You're such a flirt, _Doctor. _Don't stop on my account. In fact, you can flirt all you want. I enjoy every bit of it. I might even flirt back, handsome," I commented, leaning close to his lips; his breath hitched, anticipating a kiss from me. Deciding to be a tease, I pulled back at the last second, walking past him, hips swaying, to the right where the spare room was located.

"You, Sophie, are a tease. Playing with my emotions like that. I might need to kiss you later or maybe…strip you from all those clothes and do some teasing of my own,"

"I might let you. Strip and tease me? Is _that_ all you wish to do Stephen? What were to happen if I took off all your clothing now? Would you have sex with me on these stairs? What do you say, sexy? Wouldn't it be fun?" I responded, placing my box down, approaching him. I ran my hands over his chest, grabbing the box from him and placing it aside.

I managed to back his body against the railing. He swallowed, getting nervous. His blue eyes darkened; pupils dilated with apparent desire. I ghosted my lips over his, those brilliant eyes of his closing as I did so. I moved my lips against his neck, kissing it swift and light, my hands finding their way under his shirt, his skin hot to the touch. Sliding them around to his back, I let my fingers brush over his muscles. I could hear his erratic breathing; it got heavier with each touch.

I pressed closer, his erection pushing against my thigh. Using it to my advantage, I moved my thigh slow against his jeans, causing friction, his length hardening even more.

"Sophie. Please, I…"

"Sh. Relax, enjoy the pleasure," I continued my teasing, withdrawing once I sensed I'd done enough, leaving him with a simple kiss.

"Stephen, sweetheart. Open your eyes," I stated. He released a shuddering breath, adjusting himself and cracked open his eyes, desire still lingering within them.

"How do you do that? When I first met you, I never realized you could be so…so…"

"Dominant?"

"Powerful. It's not just the teasing or the domination, or the fire. It's power. You've got an innate ability to take control. You saved me twice by doing just that. You're magical," he responded. Heat flushed my cheeks at his comment.

"You've realized this now? Did you think me weak before or-?"

"Sophie, you misunderstand me. You've never been weak to me. I knew you had power, a strength to which everyone should have. I meant you have more power than I previously though. It's one of the things I love about you," he answered. The heat deepened and I feared I resembled a tomato.

"Good. I love your power as well. I think it complements my own. We should get back to unpacking these boxes. Less mess in the Sanctum, the better," We grabbed our boxes, toting them to the spare bedroom. I opened mine and put away my shirts, pants and dresses; Stephen helped hang thinks, discovering my lingerie at the bottom of his box.

"Will I get to see any of these on later?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. I took the lacy dress from him folding it to put it away in a drawer.

"Maybe. Do you…"

"Do I what?"

"Never mind," I replied, tucking away the rest of the lingerie.

"What do you want to ask me?" he pressed, coming to me and lifting my chin with his fingers. His gaze held mine, opening up my walls.

"Do you ever think back to the night we met?" I asked. He smiled, kissing my forehead.

"Of course. Not every day, but whenever I'm missing you, I like to look back on it. The focus should have been on Tony's birthday, but when Tony introduced us, I got lost focusing on you," he told me. He kissed me, long and sweet, pulling back so we could resume unpacking the boxes. As we continued, I let myself drift off the very night of our first meeting.

One Year Ago

Tony's birthday party had me looking for the perfect gift at the mall, going from store to store, unsure what he might want. The problem is he had most of everything; technology was out the question; he had already upgraded to the latest gadgets. I didn't want to pick out clothing, not knowing if I'd great taste in that department. He didn't wear fancy watches, my options dwindling down to nothing; almost nothing. As it hit me what I could give him, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Glancing at the caller ID, I noticed Natasha's name scrolling across the screen, answering it to hear what she wanted.

"What's up bestie? Do you need something at the mall?" I asked, still browsing around in case I saw something Tony might want at the last minute.

"You're still at the mall?! You're going to be late. Guests are starting to arrive. Sophie, you need to get back here immediately. Get dressed and come to the party," she barked at me.

"What? I thought I had enough time. Okay, I'm going to head to the exit now. Tell Tony I might be running a little behind,"

"Alright. Oh, just a heads up. He's invited someone new. I looked him up a few minutes ago. Absolutely dreamy. There's a possible chance you could fall in love with him,"

"Dreamy huh? I thought you only had eyes for Steve. It's not possible. Stop trying to set me up with someone. I'll find the one when I'm ready," I stated.

"I do, but Sophie, he's gorgeous. Dark hair, blue eyes, tall. He's kind of interesting,"

"What's his name?"

"No, no. I'm not giving you it to you. I want Tony to introduce you two. Hurry and get your ass back to the compound," she told me, hanging up. _Nice try Natasha. There's no way I'm going to meet my soulmate tonight, _I thought. Boy, was I wrong about that?

I got back to the compound and sneaked in the back to get to my room and change into a sleek, strapless teal, satin dress and black booties. I pinned my hair back in a neat bun and left my makeup neutral except for the eyeliner which was teal to match the dress. I made my way downstairs to the lounge and located Tony to give him his gift. I spotted him by a makeshift bar talking to Steve and descended the steps to approach them.

"Tony! I'm sorry I'm late. I couldn't find an appropriate gift. It occurred to me that the best thing I can give you is one of my famous free hugs," I greeted him, wrapping him in one of my special embraces which warmed anyone up inside.

"Thank you, Sophie. I adore your hugs. Oh, hey, I want to introduce to someone. He just arrived. Let me go grab him and bring him over here," Tony told me. He let go and walked over in the direction I had come from and I turned to see who he meant; my heart almost stopped at the sight of the new guest. He wore a long sleeve, burgundy button up shirt tucked in black trousers, black shoes to match. His midnight black hair had been combed back, a little gray at his temples accentuating more of his features, the main focus being his eyes; blue eyes, bright when he smiled. They shone even more when they flickered over at me. He also had a beard that more or less resembled Tony's. Our gaze locked and held as Tony escorted him over to Steve and me.

"Sophie, this is Doctor Stephen Strange. Strange, Sophie McIntyre. He's some kind of wizard and she's our very own firestarter," Tony introduced us.

"Sorcerer Supreme, actually. Nice to meet you, Sophie," Strange stated, his hand outstretched.

"Pleasure's all mine," I told him, taking it in mine, shaking it. Two things happened; first I noticed the contrast in temperature of our hands. Second, a spark of electricity shot through my hand as our skin touched. We didn't release the handshake for a few seconds, Steve's voice breaking the contact.

"Welcome to the compound. I hope you'll have fun at the party," he interrupted.

"I'm sure I will," Strange commented, pulling back first.

"I think I'll go find Natasha. Excuse me," I said, walking through the crowd of people to find everyone's favorite red head. She happened to be right. I fell in love with no other than Doctor Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme.

"Natasha! You should have warned me earlier. I just met Steph- I mean, Strange. Dreamy? That word doesn't even begin to cover that man," I told her.

"Uh-oh, someone's got a new crush. I'm willing to bed you two will be dating in six months. Where is he? Does his picture do him justice?" She stated, showing me a news article, she had found on him.

"Neuro-surgeon? Tony said he's a wizard," I stated, viewing his picture. In it he was clean shaven, in a tux, the headline covering a benefit he had attended. _He looks good with or without a beard. He even looks good in a tux. I wonder what he'd look like in scrubs or even without any clothes on at all. Damn, I'm in trouble, _I thought.

"Sorcerer Supreme. Hello. You must be Natasha Romanoff. Hard to miss the only red head in the room. I'm Stephen Strange, though I'm certain you already know that. Are you girls talking about me?" a deep voice said behind us, causing us to jump.

"All good things, I promise. I have an unfortunate habit of researching new people who come into our life. Sorry. Nice to meet you. I…You know I should probably find Wanda. Excuse me. You two talk. Get to know each other," Natasha commented, a little flustered, before walking off leaving me with the handsome sorcerer.

"You're a neuro-surgeon as well? What an impressive skill set," I commented, breaking the silence.

"Former neuro-surgeon. I got into a really terrible car accident almost two years ago. I severely damaged my hands to the point where I can't operate anymore. It left some scars as behind. Both mental and physical," He held up his hands, lines of scars running down to his wrist.

"May I?" I asked, gesturing to his hands, hoping I didn't invade his personal space or boundaries. He nodded and I took one of his hands in mine. With a light touch, I traced over the scars, his skin cool where nearly no circulation traveled to the area. There was also a slight tremor to them even as I held one in my grasp.

"How did you become Sorcerer Supreme?" I asked. He told me of his training, of his battle with an enemy named Dormammu and of his adventures battling other foes. We moved to a couch to sit down moving from subject to subject. He asked about my powers, I asked for a demonstration of his magic. I talked about life in the compound, about other interests, which I found some he shared with me. We exchanged numbers to keep in future contact if we wanted to. Our conversation flowed very well, cut off when it was time to eat and cut cake.

"Maybe Strange can help us out from time to time, should we need his help," Tony mentioned, after a few toasts were given and things began to wind down.

"Let me know. I'll be glad to offer assistance. It was a pleasure to meet all of you. I should return to the Sanctum. Thanks for inviting me. Goodnight, Sophie. I enjoyed our conversation tonight. I hope I get a chance to have even more with you sometime," Stephen said.

"Goodnight, Stephen. I'm glad I could provide some entertainment for you. You have my number. Send me a text when you feel like hanging out or just talking to someone," I told him as he smiled, crinkles at his eyes forming and as he walked through a portal to his home. I turned back to see everyone staring at me, heat flushing my face.

"What?"

"You gave him your number to talk. I believe he's going to want more than a conversation," Tony stated.

"Don't be absurd. We're becoming friends. He's sweet," I commented, twirling a strand of hair around one finger.

"Oh, Sophie. You've got it bad for him. I suspect he's got it bad for you too," Nat whispered in my ear.

"Don't be ridiculous. There's no way he'd ever date someone like me," I stated. Funny how things work out.

Present Day

"Now this looks perfect. The room is all set up and it took almost all day," I stated, inspecting the spare room to make sure I had it like I wanted it. Stephen and I had taken a few breaks, one to eat lunch and another for dinner; sandwiches, something simple to continue unpacking the boxes. Other breaks were more for the bathroom or water, sitting side by side, sharing a few kisses or subtle touches to get each other worked up.

"You're officially moved in. How about tonight we settle in and watch a movie? Snuggle some. I'm exhausted from all the unpacking. How about you?" Stephen said.

"Mm-hm. All that teasing and I'd rather curl up in your arms and relax," I told him through a yawn. I wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Maybe we can fool around tomorrow. Celebrate a new step in our relationship," he commented, walking us toward his bedroom, our bedroom, and switching on the light. He stripped down to his underwear, throwing me one his t-shirts to sleep in. I didn't want to grab a set of pajamas from the other room, too tired to walk back. We climbed in bed and turned on a movie, cuddling close.

"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this," he stated during one part, glancing down at me.

"What? Cuddling all the time?"

"No. I don't think I'm going to get used to you living here. Indefinitely. Waking up in the morning and seeing your beautiful face, knowing you're all mine. I'm excited you're here Sophie. I love you so much," he answered.

"I love you too. I'm happy to be here with you. There's nowhere I'd rather be than here in your arms, in our home," Stephen kissed me, gentle and long, sliding our bodies under the covers, my head on the pillows, him on top of me. He pulled back, coming back down for more, devouring me. The longer we kissed, the hotter it became, more desire building as we made out. He removed his shirt from my body, followed by my underwear. I pulled down his underwear, Stephen kicking them off when I reached his ankles.

"So much for fooling around tomorrow. We appear to be moving it up a day," I told him.

"Apparently. Let's go slow. I want to take my time making love to you," he said, pressing his lips to mine, his hands tracing small patterns on my breasts, my nipples perking up at his touch; heat and wetness pooled in my center. Soft moans escaped my lips as he continued to touch me, going as slow as possible. We took our time, building up the foreplay, reaching a point where we needed to be connected. Stephen reached over in the nightstand and pulled out a condom, sliding it onto his member. He sheathed himself inside my folds, his thrust nice and slow, building up our climaxes. We touched each other as we made love, brushed over each muscle, each limb; my nails dug into his skin, the muscle there rippling as he thrust into me repeatedly.

Hours crept by, moans, groans, and grunts escaping our lips; we were a sweaty mess by the time of the first climax. Multiple orgasms were achieved that night before we ended up in each other's arms, sleeping and dreaming about what our future held.


	11. Engagements and Vacation

Sophie's POV  
I woke in Stephen's arms in the morning, turning to find him still sound asleep. Smiling, I slipped out from his embrace and crept quietly downstairs to make breakfast and deliver it up to him to have breakfast in bed. Something simple; scrambled eggs, toast and bacon. Beverage of choice and habit: Earl Grey tea with a dash of honey. Plating the tray, I carried it up to our bedroom and placed it at the foot of the bed. Going up to where Stephen lay, I kissed him on the cheek, stirring him from his slumber.

He rolled over onto his back, his hands winding their way through my hair. He pulled me down for a kiss, his tongue swiping my bottom lip wanting entrance. I let him through my barriers, deepening the kiss, my hands pressing against his chest.

"Good morning, Sophie," he said pulling back.

"Good morning, Stephen. I brought up breakfast. I thought we could eat in bed," He removed his hands from my hair, propping himself up on the pillows.

"A perfect start to our day. You know, I've been thinking we should take a vacation. Double date with Steve and Natasha. I think we need a break from work and New York," he said. I placed the tray in front of him, arching an eyebrow.

"A _vacation, _huh? Where are you thinking we should go?" I asked.

"I don't know. A cabin? The beach? Mountains, maybe?"

"All possible. All good choices. Hmmm. It is currently still winter, so I think the beach is out of the question. A cabin sounds nice. Somewhere warm and cozy,"

"It's settled then. We'll rent a cabin. What about somewhere near the Smoky Mountains. We could see which ones might have an indoor pool and a hot tub. Could even see about a recreational area where we could play pool,"

"Sounds delightful. Anyone else invited besides Steve and Natasha?" I questioned.

"No. I think it should be the four of us. The romantics," I giggled.

"_We're_ the romantics? I thought Tony would fit in within the same category,"

"Absolutely not. I know he puts more extravagance into his love life. I feel like Natasha, Steve, you and I are the cheesier romantic types," he said.

"Where does that leave Wanda and Vision? Clint and Laura?"

"Sappy romantics. Maybe more on the normal spectrum of romance,"

"Oh, I see. Would you like me to be sappier for you? Maybe quote Shakespeare over a waterfall?" I teased.

"I prefer you the way you are. The same as you've always been. Sweet, kind, powerful, perfect. The Sophie I'm in love with," he told me. Heat flushed my face and he took the opportunity to kiss me.

"Call Natasha. I'll book everything for the weekend," he said.

An hour later, Stephen and I met Steve and Nat at the compound and took a car to the airport. A few hours later we arrived in Tennessee, taking the rental car to the selected cabin. Two bedrooms, both and indoor pool and hot tub. Stephen even found one with a recreational area. The boys went out to get groceries leaving Nat and I alone to play a round of pool.

"I think Steve is going to propose," She said, waiting on me to take my shot. I scratched, startled at the sudden comment.

"Really? What makes you think that?" I asked.

"He's been extra secretive lately. Plus, he's been dropping hints about the future. I'm hoping he does. I love him Sophie,"

"I hope so too. You two are cute together,"

"What about you and Stephen? Any plans for the future?"

"I don't know. If you're asking if I want to marry him, I would say that's a definite yes. I'm not sure we're really there yet. We've talked about it, sure, but I'm not positive we want to take the next step yet," I said.

"Sophie, he's crazy about you. I told you that from the beginning. You even got together in six months like I predicted. If you're already thinking about marrying him, then I'm sure he's thinking about it too. If anyone should get married out of the group, it should be you two. Not counting Tony and Pepper," she stated.

"Thanks. I feel the same about you and Steve,"

"Maybe they'll surprise us this weekend," she suggested.

"Maybe, but I'd still love the cozy weekend anyway,"

Stephen's POV

Steve and I were out picking up supplies for the weekend when Steve decided to make a pit stop; a jewelry store near the grocery store we found near our cabin. It surprised me; I hadn't anticipated his desire to propose this weekend.

"When are you planning to propose to Sophie?" Steve asked. The question stunned me. Of course, I wanted to marry her, but I wasn't certain when I wanted to make that leap to popping the question.

"I'm not sure. Soon, I hope. I would love my future to be with her. I love Sophie with all my heart, and we fit together well," I answered, inspecting some of the rings displayed before me. One caught my eye; a ruby red gemstone surrounded by spessartite garnet gems on both sides. The band was a dark charcoal gray, reminding of fire. It reminded me of Sophie, of the burning flame she had started in my hear. My fire beauty who I love.

"Sophie will love it. I think it fits her well," Steve said. I asked the associate to pull it out to get a closer look. The gems sparkled, illuminating like embers before my sight. The decision was made. I'd propose to her this weekend, just not at the cabin. I wanted to be alone with her at the Sanctum when I proposed. It was our home and I wanted the memory to be ingrained in it as well. Steve went with a princess cut emerald on a white gold band. The ring matched Natasha's eyes, but Steve had plans to propose to her one night while we were here.

He planned on tomorrow night, leaving Sophie and I have a romantic night to ourselves at the cabin. He was a traditionalist, a candlelit dinner, wine and she would find the ring hidden in the dessert. Not tonight. Tonight, was dedicated to pizza, movies and beer. Sophie in my lap, her legs draped over mine as we laughed at some comedy film before heading off to bed at nearly midnight. We had chosen the room downstairs, secluded away from Natasha and Steve if we chose to indulge in other "activities". All I wanted to do tonight was to snuggle her close, dreaming of the bright future ahead of us.

Sophie's POV

The next day we went hiking, exploring nature at its finest. Steve and Natasha were having dinner alone tonight leaving Stephen and me to our own devices.

"What do you want to do while they're out?" I asked, stepping over a thick log in front of me, grabbing Stephen's hand as we kept walking on an incline.

"I thought we could test out the hot tub. Recreate out first date with Italian food, maybe some slow dancing," he answered. _Damn, he looked sexy as hell hiking. The things I could do to him later,_ I thought.

"It appears you have the night all planned out. It's not a bad idea. I wouldn't mind pasta after all," I told him. We kept going until we reached a peak that looked across the city of Pigeon Forge. Beautiful. Oh, the beauty of nature. What thrills it could give us in our lifetime. By the time we reach our car, it was nearly 4 p.m. and we headed back to the cabin to prepare for our dates.

I wanted to be the last to shower, indulging in one of the books I brought for the trip, snuggled in comfy pajamas.

"How is it that you make pajamas look sexy?" Stephen asked me, walking out from the bathroom. He wore navy blue sweatpants and no shirt, hair still slightly damp from the shower. He leaned over me kiss my lips, positioning his body over mine. He slipped his tongue inside my mouth, both hands cupping my face. He was intoxicating. I put down my book, pulling him in for more, desiring to taste him; I wanted to take him now before dinner.

"Ahem," a voice said ceasing our movements. Stephen moved to the side giving us a view of Natasha standing outside our door. "Steve and I are leaving. We'll probably won't be back until later. Probably around midnight or so. Have fun," she said. I gave her a thumbs up, prompting her to exit.

Getting off the bed, I closed the door, returning to Stephen. I straddled his hips, kissing him once more. His arms wrapped around me; his hands splayed out against my shoulder blades. I smiled into another kiss, pulling back to escape his grip.

"My turn to shower," I said. I got off him, ignoring his look of disappointment.

"Hurry back. I miss kissing you," I winked at him before vanishing into the bathroom.

An hour later, we were dressed and in the kitchen cooking dinner; Stephen was in a black button up shirt and brown trousers. I chose a dark plum-colored dress and black six-inch heels. We had put on music to create a romantic atmosphere. We ate, talking throughout the meal and cleaned up when were finished. Like our first date, our fingers brushed as I handed off the last plate, the same familiar sparks shooting through us.

"Care for a dance?" he asked, extending his hand. I took it and he pulled me into his arms. We swayed to the music, my head on his shoulder, kissing occasionally. Stephen was my life; my home and I couldn't be happier than with him. The song came to an end, another one already beginning. Our lips touched, a growing arousal increased, and he managed to press me against the edge of the kitchen table.

His hands slipped to the hem of my dress, bunching it up over my hips, mine pulled his shirt from his pants and slipped under, grazing his stomach. His next move was to remove my dress altogether, leaving me in only underwear.

"You're absolutely mesmerizing," he said, capturing my lips again. He hoisted me onto the table, my fingers working swiftly to get his shirt off. He pulled down my underwear and inserted two fingers inside me. I let out a moan and he started thrusting them inside me building up an orgasm. My nails dug into his shoulders, unable to contain myself.

"Stephen…more," I said.

"I'll give you whatever you ask of me Sophie," he said. He removed his fingers and undid his pants, kicking them off. Laying me back, Stephen spread my legs wide and lifted my hips to sheathe his cock inside my walls. I let out a loud moan, more escaping as he thrust in and out. His lips and tongue were everywhere as were his hands. My legs wrapped around his middle, heels digging into his skin, only increasing his speed of which he was thrusting. Stephen lifted me off the table and moved to a wall, pressing me against it. My fingers latched in his hair, giving him more kisses, more of me. From there, we went out onto the balcony where the hot tub was. He managed to get in without pulling out of me. He sat down and I held on as I rode him, another orgasm hitting both of us. Deciding we wanted to keep this up, we got out and returned to our bedroom. He laid me down, but I rolled him over, riding him and pinning his hands to the pillows.

"Fuck, Sophie. Keep going," he cried out. I pushed him over the edge again, my orgasm not too far behind. We came down from our high, my head on his chest, breathing hard; sweat clung to our bodies making us stick together. Stephen's arms held me, rubbing my back.

"I love you, Sophie," he said, kissing the top of my head.

"I love you too," I told him, letting sleep take over, his breathing becoming steady beneath me.

A soft ping woke me, the light from my phone illuminating the room. I shifted off of Stephen to check it. A message from Natasha popped up. It read:

'Come upstairs now. I need to tell you something.'

Sliding off the bed, careful not wake my sleeping companion, I grabbed a robe and crept upstairs to the living room.

"Natasha? Is everything okay?" I asked, spotting her standing neat the couch. She grabbed my arm and we stepped out on the balcony. She held out her hand, a ring on her wedding finger.

"Steve proposed! Tonight, Sophie. I'm so happy," she squealed.

"Congratulations! It's beautiful,"

"Will you be my maid of honor? Please, please, please,"

"Of course," I said, embracing her. My best friend was getting married and I couldn't be more ecstatic. Though I wished Stephen had also proposed. No rush, but I wanted to take the step to live out the rest of my days with him. We made plans to go shopping for dresses with Wanda and Carol a few days after we got back from the trip and then I returned to Stephen.

I slid back into bed, Stephen's arms securing around me. I tucked my head into the crook of his neck, pulling his body closer, falling asleep again.

Stephen's POV

The next morning, we headed back to New York. Sophie told me that Steve had proposed, which I knew would happen. She was requested to be Natasha's maid of honor, the best man going automatically to Bucky, though Steve did ask me to part of the groomsmen. I didn't think Sophie was upset that her best friend was engaged before her, though I did notice a twinge of sadness in some of her mannerisms. _Come on Strange. Pop the question today. You know you want to, _I thought. The thought alone made me nervous and when we got back to the Sanctum, my palms were already sweating. I unpacked and slid the ring into my pocket, Sophie unaware of the action. She wrapped her arms around my waist, her chin resting between my shoulder blades. Turning around while still in her arms, I ran my hands up and down her arms.

"Sophie, are you alright?"

"Mm-hm. Just thinking,"

"About?"

"Us. The future. Do you want to get married?"

"Yes. I do. Is…Is it Natasha's engagement? Are you sad about it? Did you think that I didn't…"?

"No, no. I'm not upset. I only wondered if you could see us married. There's no rush, Stephen. I love you. I love being with you. I'll wait as long as you want to. Natasha getting engaged only increased my desire to have a future with you. Only you," I smiled, cupping her chin. I kissed her, deeply.

"I only want you to. Which is why…" I removed her arms and knelt down on one knee. I pulled out the ring, a brightness lighting up her eyes. "I planned on doing this when we got back to the Sanctum. I want a future with you. I want to live out all of my days with you. I love you. I have ever since I met you at Tony's birthday party. Be mine forever. Sophie, will you marry me?" I asked.

"Yes. Absolutely, yes," she answered. I slid the ring on her fingers, getting off the floor to pull her into a kiss. We chose to wait to get married until after Steve and Natasha, not wanting to intrude on their big day. Trouble was coming, however and we weren't expecting the devastation it would leave in its path.


End file.
